Goldenflower 3: The Last Return
by LovingBOBThePacific
Summary: Three years can do a lot to a person. And when Cornelia, Edmund and Lucy returns to Narnia with the insufferable Eustace Scrubb, they may face their biggest challenge yet when they meet Caspian, Tristane and Reepicheep onboard the Dawn Treader. Temptations will tempt, a hope of a lost brother's return will be challenged and dynamics between family & friends may change along the way
1. Prologue

**Hello to you all, again again! Here it is! The third and final installment of the Goldenflower-trilogy: Goldenflower 3: The Last Return!  
Is it okay to feel a little emotional right now?  
To eventual new readers, welcome! Wonderful to have you here, but I highly recommend you read the first two installments, but welcome! :D  
I've been working really hard to plan everything out for both this and my new Marvel-franchise based story called "Storm Warning", which also will be up shortly. I know, I know...I told you that it might be awhile before I published anything again, but I feel really confident and good about these stories, and I've begun growing impatient (laughs). I've written a few chapters for each stories - but with that said, I can't really promise any regular updates days as some do - other than I promise to try to prevent not updating for several months like the last time :P. **

**Here's a link to a playlist for the story: youtube dot com slash playlist?list=PLJKPr4nzBppfAa5Mn9oCvAScD-QwnlqxJ**

 **Finally, I've taken a few artistic freedoms as you'll see right below. I've chosen a three year gap between G2 and this: 1) To show the characters' maturity further, which hopefully also will come across in the story itself, and 2) To fit with the movie's spirit of growing up, which also is one of my central themes in Goldenflower among others.  
Finally, finally - sorry :P. I've gotten a request to write a story based on Cornelia, Peter, Susan, Edmund and Lucy's adventures in the Golden Age. It sounds really interesting and something I'd definitely want to do sometime, just not right now unfortunately :)  
Without further ado, let's join in on the next adventure of Cornelia and co. (:**

* * *

 **Goldenflower 3: The Last Return**

 **Prologue:**

* * *

 _March, 1945 – Finchley, London - England_

* * *

"Mum, Dad, I'm going for a walk!"

A fifteen-year-old Cornelia Pevensie rolled her eyes seconds after her comment to her parents, as the latter could be heard arguing. Silence however followed when the teen slammed the door rather purposefully hard behind her. As she walked out of the garden gate, she stopped and turned to look at the house that had miraculously survived the war mainly unscathed. There were some small repairs here and there, but her parents didn't want to spend lots of money on repair to the house before the war was over. It was her childhood home, where they had lived even before she was born. These days, it rarely felt like a home anymore. Gods know that her parents tried, but the tension around the dinner table in the evenings was an ever-present, uninvited guest that had dined with them since shortly after Andrew being reported missing in action over Europe. The stress, heartbreak and strain of Andrew's disappearance were slowly causing her parents' marriage to crumble to pieces. It had become close to too much for them after nearly five years. Cornelia honestly wasn't sure how much longer her parents could endure their pain, or how long she herself would be able to keep up the façade and be strong for them. She had been feeling so much better since she and her cousins had returned from Narnia the second time around. Her sessions with Vincent had stopped after she had convinced her parents and Vincent himself by becoming the smiling, positive girl she had been before Andrew disappeared. Cornelia had at the same time been sad that she wouldn't see Vincent anymore if she didn't continue with her sessions. The psychiatrist had against all odds grown on Cornelia, and it would be as if she would be leaving a friend when her sessions stopped. That is until Vincent with a soft smile and glint in his eyes had suggested that she could become his new office girl on a part time basis if she wanted. It was an offer Cornelia had taken gratefully as it would mean that she still could come to the office and talk to him. And it would also mean that there were certain days in the week that she would be away from home longer besides from the school hours. Her parents had also been beyond happy for their daughter getting her first job, and for one day it felt like she remembered when Andrew had been there. They had celebrated by going to a fancy restaurant (the few that were still open), and Cornelia had for once been happy to spend the night with her parents. They weren't fighting so frequently in front of Cornelia anymore – she suspected that they had noticed their daughter's anguish, but she could still hear them at night when she was supposed to be sleeping. Though she felt much better than roughly three years before, she still felt responsible for keeping up the façade, feeling obligated to stay strong for her family's sake. That also included her cousins on her father's side.

Cornelia silently scoffed at the sight some meters across from her. A young, homecoming soldier was completely surrounded by several young girls, gushing and swooning over the young man in uniform. Her heart clenched whenever she saw a young soldier, who had come home. _'Why couldn't that be Andrew?'_ her brain screamed each time, silently envying the soldier. Her envy quickly turned into shame when she saw that he was missing a limp from the knee and down. This soldier had clearly lost something that never could be replaced, and who knew how he was coping mentally.

' _At least he's still alive.'_ The selfish part of her argued. She cursed at herself for being so selfish. She didn't know this man or of what he had endured and lost, and here she was indirectly wishing him to be dead in her brother's stead. It had taken some time, but Cornelia had, as she got older, realized that Andrew might not come home. He had been missing for five years, and from the little information they had received from the Royal Air Force, the odds weren't good. Andrew's squadron had been spread, several planes shot down, others diving into the ocean, a few clear survivors accounted for. Andrew's squadron's fate had become an example of the worst case scenario for the new cadets. Her heart clenched, and a ripping pain suddenly went through her when these thoughts went through her head. Yet, there was still this tiny part of her that still held on to the belief of Andrew being alive and hopefully well somewhere.

' _He's strong and a survivor. He'll come home to me. He promised.'_ A tiny voice reassured her inside her mind.

A roar of an engine made her jump as a long shadow passed overhead. She looked up, seeing the belly of one of the British airplanes patrolling the airspace over Finchley.

"It's that pilot's sister." One of the girls gasped rather loudly as Cornelia passed them, her cheeks immediately flaring into a red-ish color.

"Him who's been missing for five years?" Another questioned with a gasp.

"Poor thing." A third gasped.

Cornelia silently clenched her hands into fists as she tried to keep her anger and hopelessness down. She had realized a long time ago that she was different from other girls her age. Her breathing had suddenly become rapid, it almost felt like she was suffocating. Finchley had slowly become one big gossip machine. It had becomed cramped. The pitying looks she received every now and then haunted her and caused anger to flare up in her. Some of it were directed at the gossipers, though she knew most of their intentions were good. Another part of her anger had fallen upon Andrew, who wasn't there to receive it. Why had he felt the need to enlist voluntarily instead of waiting to be drafted like most of his friends had done if he even had to go and fight at all? He had left her all alone to fend for herself and slowly break at seeing their parents' marriage crumble right before her eyes.

"That's enough, ladies. Leave the poor girl alone. I'd imagine she's suffering enough already without all the gossip behind her back."

Cornelia exhaled, feeling air filling into her lungs again at the soldier's firm voice. He had clearly seen her discomfort through her body language or he was simply not one for gossiping. He and Cornelia knew from two very different worlds that war was not a game. It was brutal, gritty and rarely – nearly never had a complete happy ending. There was always someone who would have to pay the ultimate price. War was about survival, rarely any luck though it was more than helpful.

She didn't encounter more comments on her way. She did however receive those pitiful looks that made her sick to her stomach. It made her worst scenario more real, causing her to become more cynical about her brother's life than she wanted to be. But it was her way of protecting herself, her only way of coping and coming to terms with the godforsaken war and what it had and may still cost her. Again, she felt another unexplainable rip close to her heart. After another hour and a half's walk, her feet once again had found their way home to her house. It had begun to darken in the horizon and blackouts were still in effect after the clock had struck six.

"I'm home!" She called, closing the door softly behind her before she got rid of her scarf, coat and shoes.

"We're in here, sweetheart." Her father said softly from what sounded like the kitchen. Cornelia's eyebrows furrowed at the softness in her father's voice. It wasn't strange in the way that he would always shout at her, but he and her mum would often snap at each other or at her if she second-guessed their requests.

"What's going on?" Cornelia asked concernedly as she entered the kitchen. Her mother stood with her back turned to her, looking out of the window like she was waiting for someone to emerge. Her father sat at the dinner table. He looked so tired like he had seemingly aged twenty years that in reality only was five. Cornelia looked sadly at her parents. It had been so hard on them all, the strain clearly taking its toll. A once seemingly perfect family suddenly wasn't so perfect anymore. Instead, every day was a struggle with the same arguments and emotions running high, although her parents each had tried to create a normal everyday life once again. But it just wasn't the same without Andrew.

"Nothing serious, darling." Her father replied with a soft smile. "Why don't you sit down for a minute?"

Cornelia sat down swiftly without hesitation. Her father then looked at her mother who hadn't moved an inch since she had entered the kitchen. She hadn't even acknowledged that their daughter was in the same room as them.

Her father then sighed quietly, having watched his wife, waiting for her to begin speaking. But when she didn't, he looked softly at their daughter. "Your mother and I have talked, and -."

Her mother's snort suggested otherwise. In return, her husband closed his eyes regrettably before looking at his only daughter with a soft look. "And we wondered if you'd like to go with Edmund and Lucy to Cambridge and stay with their aunt and uncle for a while, like an extended vacation to get away from the many bombings around here?"

Before Cornelia could answer, however, her mother had turned abruptly and was staring her husband down, angry tears in her eyes. "If you really want to send our other child away like you did with our first, be my guest. But I'll have none of it!"

"Honey, please…" Her husband begged. Cornelia's heart sank when her mother sent her father a spiteful look before she marched out of the kitchen. Her eyes flickered back to her father, who's shoulders had slumped as he was sighing sadly.

Cornelia's hand then placed itself on top of her father's, causing the older Pevensie to look at his daughter, obviously surprised.

"It's okay, Dad." Cornelia smiled, softly squeezing his hand. "I know that you wouldn't do it if you thought you had another choice. You only want what's best for me."

Her father's face it up into a grateful smile before she then asked. "What about Peter and Susan?"

"Peter's going to Professor Kirke to study while Susan's going to America with your uncle and aunt. They didn't think that Edmund and Lucy would be old enough to get something out of it." Her father replied and smiled as he stood up, looking at her softly.

Cornelia frowned softly at her aunt and uncle's reason for leaving Edmund and Lucy back in England. Edmund was seventeen, almost an adult while Lucy recently had turned fourteen. Nonetheless, she shook her thoughtfulness off her so her father wouldn't question it and instead sent him a soft smile. "I'd love to go, Dad. Mum will come around. She always does."

Her father smiled softly, leaning down to press a kiss on the top of his daughter's head, leaning close to her ear before saying softly, "Thank you, sweetie. You're my trooper."

Cornelia smiled softly at her father before he reluctantly left the kitchen, leaving his fifteen-year-old alone with her thoughts. A lot had changed. She and her cousins were growing up and this time they would be split up. She could only hope as she sat there and looked out at the darkening skyline that it wouldn't be long before their return to Narnia.

* * *

 **RIP Technical Sergeant Donald G. Malarkey, Easy Company, 2nd Battalion, 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne (July 30, 1921 - September 30, 2017) - another Screaming Eagle has fallen, who's company's achievements, heartbreaks and bravery were captured in Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg's award-winning mini-series "Band of Brothers" (2001).**


	2. Chapter One

**Thank you so much for the sweet words and support so far! Keep it up, I really appreciate it! :)  
Disclaimer goes for all chapters.  
Enjoy ;-)**

* * *

 **Goldenflower 3: The Last Return**

 **Chapter One:**

* * *

" _Dear Lucy, Edmund and Cornelia._

 _Coming back to Professor Kirke's house brings back so many memories, it is almost overwhelming. I am really sorry that Mum and Dad would not let you come with them and Susan to America, but at least you will all have each other, yes? So far, I do not have many exciting things to tell you other than that Mrs. Macready still works here, and the wardrobe is still here as well. Professor Kirke makes sure that it is polished and maintained nicely._

 _I miss all of you terribly already, but I guess there had to come a day where we would be split up. The most important thing is that you guys stick together._

 _Cor, I am praying every day that Andrew will soon come home to you. And please try to prevent Edmund from doing stupid things like strangling our cousin Eustace, would you? Well, I did say try, did I not?"_

Lucy giggled quietly at her older brother's words as she sat cross-legged on her bed in the room she and Cornelia shared. The latter and Edmund had recently gone to buy groceries, which left Lucy home alone to receive and read the oldest Pevensie's letter. Uncle Harold and Aunt Alberta were still at work while their cousin was doing after-school activities – Lucy could not remember whether it was science club this week or not – nor did she really care.

The fourteen-year-old's eyes flickered to the door as she suddenly heard the front door downstairs being thrown open and she instantly knew that it was her cousin and brother returning. The teen sighed and silently counted, "3…2…1.."

"And _one_ would _think_ that someone who'd already fought in wars wouldn't voluntarily jump right into the next one." A clearly furious Cornelia was scolding Lucy's brother.

Lucy rolled her eyes. So, Edmund had tried to enlist again. Ever since they had been left here with their aunt and uncle, her older brother had been oddly set on joining the army. The younger Pevensie's gaze returned to her oldest brother's letter as the argument continued downstairs.

" _Oh, and Lu? Please try to prevent Cornelia from strangling Edmund while we're on the topic."_

The fourteen-year-old snorted as she listened in on the argument downstairs again. Her heart sunk however, immediately becoming saddened at her cousin's next words whom sounded desperate and shrill, "Don't you think this family has already suffered enough because of war?"

Blinking rapidly to keep a few treacherous tears at bay because of her cousin's clear anguish and sadness, Lucy turned her attention back to the remaining part of Peter's letter:

" _Well, I think I will finish for now. I have to get an early start in the morning. I love you all so much, we will see each other soon. I promise._

 _Love,_

 _Peter."_

Lucy soon heard two sets of stamping feet come up the stairs before she sighed as Edmund slammed the door to the room he shared with their rather spiteful cousin Eustace, and before long the door to the room she was sitting in swung open as well. In waltzed a clearly upset and infuriated Cornelia, who made a point of slamming the door just as hard as her cousin had, before she turned to look at her youngest cousin, her eyes narrowing dangerously.

"Your brother is a blasted idiotic, selfish git." Stated Cornelia flatly before she let herself fall onto the mattress in her bed beside Lucy's. Lucy, forever being a peacemaker, immediately offered her cousin the letter in her hand instead of commenting on Cornelia's current opinion on Edmund. Nothing good would come out of their stay with their aunt and uncle if she chose sides.

"Peter wrote us." Lucy said softly as Cornelia with a huff gracefully accepted the letter.

The blonde's eyes swept across the paper, absorbing sentence for sentence with an incredible speed and control. The fifteen-year-old let out a snort when she read the paragraphs where Peter respectively begged Cornelia to try and prevent Edmund from strangling Eustace and begged Lucy to prevent Cornelia from strangling Edmund.

There was nothing more than strangling Edmund that Cornelia wanted to do these days quite frankly. The two had become awfully close since the whole White Witch affair, so it hurt Cornelia so much more when Edmund had begun to go on a false enlistment spree when he knew what had possibly happened to his older cousin and Cornelia's older brother. It infuriated Cornelia that Edmund based his identity on being a fighting man when both she and he knew that he was so much more than that. Edmund had during his older days in Narnia gathered a charming amount of charisma, and he was a great and intelligent speaker who knew when to charm and when to oppose. He carried those qualities with him back to England and to his younger self, and now when he had become older, Cornelia had also started noticing that many female eyes had begun lingering more and more on him when they walked the streets in Cambridge. Instead of exploring and using those qualities, her dear cousin instead insisted on going to fight in a war he wasn't even old enough to join yet. Cornelia was the only one of her four remaining close family members that had seen what a war could do to a family up close. And Cornelia hoped that it would never happen to her cousins and their parents who for a long time had been the perfect example of a family in Cornelia's eyes.

"Edmund can be…incredibly stubborn." Lucy suddenly commented, looking at her cousin from her bed.

"And narrowminded." Cornelia commented dryly.

"And righteous." Lucy put in.

"Why shouldn't I be allowed to fight when so many others do?" Cornelia mimicked Edmund's voice, causing Lucy to giggle.

Silence then fell over the two girls. Cornelia found herself staring partly at the ceiling, partly at the painting on the opposite wall from them. It was a painting of a sailing ship. A…Narnian ship?

Cornelia shook her head and rubbed her eyes. She seemed to be more tired than she had originally thought.

"He doesn't mean to hurt you, you know?" Lucy suddenly spoke from her bed. Cornelia turned her head to look at her younger cousin.

Cornelia sighed. "I know, I guess. But it does."

"I know." Lucy replied quietly.

Before long, the two teenage girls could hear Uncle Harold and Aunt Alberta arrive home with Eustace in tow. The two of them rolled their eyes simultaneously as Lucy's cousin immediately started complaining loudly of Cornelia's and his cousins' presence as he walked up the staircase.

As far as Cornelia was concerned, her cousins' cousin, Eustace, was a spiteful boy who had rather strange interests. Besides that, he had no imagination whatsoever, having been schooled by logic and facts. At first, when Cornelia had heard this, she had thought that he and Susan would have gotten along, but even the older Pevensie girl would rather have the company of a dozen dwarves than that of Eustace Clarence Scrubb. And so far, Cornelia wouldn't feel the least bad about letting Edmund strangle Eustace in his sleep despite Peter's humorous plea.

"Are you entirely sure that you're in fact related?" Cornelia questioned with a wry smile at her cousin.

Lucy frowned. "Unfortunately, yes, but then again so are you too in reality."

Now, it was Cornelia's turn to frown, sighing. "Aslan, help us."

Lucy burst out laughing.

 **OOO~G3~OOO**

Evening had come quickly, and dinner had passed almost just as quickly. Left at the dinner table sat Edmund, Lucy and Cornelia. Aunt Alberta had reluctantly passed the task of doing the dishes to Cornelia and Lucy, Uncle Harold had gone back to read his paper and listen to the radio, while Eustace had gone to his room to do who-knows-what. Edmund groaned, realizing that he was supposed to go to the very same room as his terrible cousin when he was supposed to sleep. He swore that if he found any of Eustace's disgusting pawns of animals in his bed, he would strangle the little git in his sleep and blame his dear cousin's insufferableness as cause of death to his aunt the next morning.

Edmund looked up at Cornelia and frowned when she quickly looked away from him and down on his empty plate. It saddened him that they would keep fighting over the same topic every time. He had been so happy to see how happy _she_ was when they had returned from Narnia. It had been like seeing a now older but previous Cornelia from before the war where she and Andrew would get together with him and his siblings as much as they could. Edmund paused. He knew that he hurt Cornelia by trying to enlist, but he knew several boys trying to do the same as him.

" _But none of those boys have a cousin that has been missing in action for five years, and none of those boys have a cousin who's little sister obviously still suffers from it despite her happy expressions."_ His consciousness scolded him.

He hated to do this, and frankly he didn't particularly fancy to join another war, but he had become tired of being second-guessed and seen as one of the younger children who needed to be looked after. He was seventeen, in reality older. He had fought in wars and commanded armies. He had dealt with spiteful and wonderful politicians. He had been named King Edmund the Just of Narnia. What just King would he be if he didn't seek justice for himself as well? The seventeen-year-old reckoned that he had reached his breaking point when his parents chose to go to America with Susan while leaving he and Lucy in their aunt and uncle's care – people they didn't particularly like. It had been a big consolation when Cornelia's parents decided to send her with them with Aunt Alberta's blessing, but the feeling of being put aside and abandoned gnawed inside him. He wanted to scream and lash out, but the coolness in him prevented him from doing so. He had to fill out Peter's role now and look after his younger cousin and little sister although the two of them also had grown visibly more up. He thought that rebelling by attempting to enlist would open his parents' eyes, but all it had done was to hurt one of the people he held dear.

"Cor.." Edmund started, ultimately wanting to clear the air and possibly have a calm and adult conversation with his cousin.

Edmund's heart sank, however, when he saw his cousin stand up abruptly, narrowing her eyes dangerously at him before she looked calmly at Lucy instead, speaking through gritted teeth. "Call for me when you're ready to do the dishes, Lu. Excuse me."

Lucy simply nodded sympathetically at their cousin. Cornelia's eyes met Edmund's briefly before she left the room. The hurt and sadness was evident in her eyes, and all he secretly wanted was to hit himself for his selfishness. He ought to have known better, but he was also stubborn as Cornelia was, and he couldn't take the injustice right in front of him.

" _Just one more time,"_ he told himself. _"I'll try one more time, and if I fail, I'll leave it alone. Cornelia will come around. She always does."_

Edmund then noticed his little sister pierce him with her glare. Lucy had grown up, a lot more than Edmund and Peter wished. She was beginning to grow out of the girl, instead slowly turning into a pretty, young woman with a clear opinion of the world around her and a fierce protectiveness over those she loved. With that protectiveness followed the most piercing glare not even Susan could compete with. It was that glare she was fixing at him now, and to be honest, it sent shivers down his spine.

"I know, I know, all right?" Edmund sighed at his sister's glare, anxiously playing around with the leftovers on his plate with his fork.

"Do you?" Lucy questioned sharply. "You're hurting her, Ed. More than she'll ever admit, but nonetheless."

"I know." Edmund repeated, his voice firmer this time, his dark-brown eyes lightly fuming as he met Lucy's stormy green eyes. He loved his sister with all his being, but there was only so much scolding he would take from her. Especially if he knew she was right. Lucy's gaze softened eventually as they stared at each other, a mutual look of understanding passing between them. The fourteen-year-old then stood up gracefully, gathering her plate and cutlery before asking him softly, "Are you finished?"

Edmund nodded hesitantly, not recalling a time where Lucy had let him off the hook so easily. But he guessed she didn't want to make a scene in their relatives' house so their uncle and aunt had any complaints to write to their parents about. It was either that, or he had managed to get his point across. Lucy gathered his plate and cutlery just as gracefully before she looked at him softly.

"Please don't do it anymore, Ed." She begged him and continued when she saw he was about to interrupt.

"And if you decidedly must, make sure she doesn't find out. I'm rather frankly sick of playing peacemaker. Cornelia is so much better at it." The last part was said with a sharpness that convinced Edmund that his only baby sister was wiser and older beyond her years, just like the rest of them supposedly were.


	3. Chapter Two

_Hello everyone! Merry Christmas to those who celebrates Christmas and Happy 24th of December to those who don't! :) I, for one, am going to my grandparents later for Christmas this year - so happy and excited! So, here's my Christmas gift to you all - an update of both Goldenflower and Storm Warning! :O_  
 _Yes, I know, it's been more than awhile, but I've been occupied with some other things, but I've gotten some writing done which I will continue to do, and I'm really happy with what I've written so far. So, I really hope you'll enjoy it too!_  
 _Once again, Merry Christmas! :D_  
 _Disclaimer goes for all chapters._  
 _Enjoy ;-)._

* * *

 **Goldenflower 3: The Last Return**

 **Chapter Two:**

* * *

A couple days past since the dinner incident and Edmund had not, to Cornelia's knowledge, tried to enlist again, which confirmed her theory about Lucy having said something to him that night, at least if she should judge from her cousin's facial expression. Lucy had marched gracefully into the kitchen with two sets of plates and cutlery in her arms, a stern look painting her features. It confirmed her suspicion further indeed when Lucy had held the plates so tightly in her hands that Cornelia was afraid that they would crack, and reminded Lucy that she didn't think that her cousin's aunt would appreciate a couple of cracked plates. After that, Lucy's face had lit up into the same familiar wide grin that Cornelia knew so well, and the two of them had chatted away merrily through the entire dish wash. Today, her cousins' aunt had sent her out to work in the garden and sent Lucy and Edmund after groceries, while Eustace did nothing to help the household, as per usual. She was currently gathering the leaves in a pile to the left corner of the front garden as she had been instructed to do because the pile would be hidden by the hedge if some garden-lookers would happen to walk by. Soon, she could hear the familiar voices of her cousins. As she peaked up above the hedge, a stream of emotions went through her by Edmund's choice of clothing. She had seen him wear his dark grey coat on more than one occasion and the scarf sticking out at his neck wasn't anything special, but it was the brown, flat hat that angered her. Whenever Edmund decided that he wanted to look more like an adult, he always went through his clothes first. And in his hand, she could just see something small and squared – small enough to be some identification of some kind. Ironically, his aunt Alberta had complained all noon about not being able to find her identification before she went to work. So, he had tried to enlist again and Lucy had caught him in the act this time. She wondered what the reason to this sudden urge to enlist was. It seemed a little overrated if he simply wanted to get away from Eustace, whom he often complained about whenever his aunt and uncle were out of earshot. Her older cousin didn't mind that Eustace himself heard his complaints about him, said that he enjoyed watching the boy become flustered and angry.

She wasn't angry at Edmund anymore, more like disappointed and tired at his new behavior. She knew she wanted to scream at him, but she slowly closed off and ultimately let him decide what he wanted for himself. He was almost an adult and she was younger than him after all, but there was still something in her – the Goldenflower part of her perhaps and through her personality in general – that wanted to protect her cousins with her entire being. Family had always come first for her, and it still hadn't changed. But she also knew that she had to protect herself, and sometimes that meant that she had to let go of some of the things or persons she fiercely fought for.

Cornelia in -and exhaled a couple of times as her cousins approached rapidly, Edmund pulling their uncle's bicycle by him. Lucy met her cousin with a bright smile which Edmund tried to copy as their cousin leaned on a rake.

"Cor." Lucy greeted warmly.

Cornelia smiled softly at her cousin. "Luce."

Her look then fixated on Edmund, who's smile slowly faded as his cousin looked him up and down before fixing him a pointed stare.

"Trying to enlist again, have we?" Cornelia questioned, her gaze looking to the identification papers in his right hand. "And with your aunt's identification, Edmund? Really? What was the excuse for the wrong name this time? A typographical error?"

Edmund swiftly put his right hand behind his back before looking up at his cousin confusedly, trying to uphold a dignified nonchalant look although it ate away at him that she had caught him, again.

"What gave me away?" he questioned quietly.

Cornelia's brows quirked in a disbelieving manner before she motioned to his head, her voice snarky. "The hat."

Edmund closed his eyes regrettably. Sometimes, it scared him how well she knew him.

"Cor.." he said in an apologetic voice.

"Save it." She snapped, letting the rake fall before she marched inside, closing the door behind her.

Edmund sighed sadly before looking over at his sister, who had watched the exchange wordlessly, and who was already looking at him with a pointed look.

"I told you so." Lucy said matter-of-factly before she left her brother standing there hanging with the bicycle, the rake completely forgotten and misplaced on the ground.

 **OOO~G3~OOO**

Cornelia had just finished cleaning up the kitchen desks when the front door opened and Lucy's cheerful voice replaced the dull silence of the house. "I'm home!"

Eustace was upstairs and her cousins' uncle was sitting in his armchair, next to the radio while absorbed by the daily paper as per usual. "Hello!"

" _That concludes the war news from the Western Front.."_

Cornelia entered the living room, leaning on the door frame. Her host didn't acknowledge that he knew she was there, but she didn't mind. She had tried to listen to the radio while being in the kitchen.

The teen smiled lightly at Lucy as she and Edmund eventually entered the living room.

"Hello, Uncle Harold." Lucy greeted good-naturedly before she walked past Cornelia and into the kitchen while she was still addressing her uncle, "I tried to find some carrots, but all they had were turnips again."

Lucy, having put down the groceries, then entered the living room again while taking off her coat and scarf, "Shall I start making soup? Aunt Alberta's on her way home."

Uncle Harold simply coughed and turned a side in the paper.

"Uncle Harold?" Lucy demanded a bit more determined.

When their uncle didn't respond in the slightest, Cornelia rolled her eyes while Edmund shook his head and stuck his tongue out at their uncle.

"Father." Eustace's whiny voice demanded from the stairs. "Edmund and Cornelia's making faces at you."

Cornelia's eyes narrowed at the brat as Eustace then spit something at Edmund with a small pipe.

Edmund tried to dodge but was hit but immediately went after his cousin, "Why, you little…"

"Father, he's gonna hit me!" Eustace cried.

Cornelia merely rolled her eyes, not about to do anything to either help or prevent Edmund from hitting his cousin.

"Edmund, Cornelia, look!" Lucy's voice stopped Edmund from attacking his cousin on the stairs. Cornelia looked curiously at her younger cousin, who held up a white envelope, a wide smile crossing her features.

"It's from Susan." Lucy announced cheerfully.

The three Pevensies then past a still shaken Eustace on the stairs, neither of them giving him a second glance of acknowledgement.

They entered Lucy and Cornelia's room, which was pretty much the only place they could hope to be left in peace from Edmund and Lucy's spiteful younger cousin. Lucy was only one year older, but there was a worldly difference between her and Eustace in maturity.

Lucy began to read as Cornelia and Edmund made themselves comfortable, Cornelia on her bed and Edmund next to Lucy on her bed.

 _"Dear Edmund, Lucy and Cornelia._

 _It's so wonderful to hear and know that the three of you are together. Hopefully, it will not be long before all of us are together again. I've heard from Peter that Eustace are as difficult as he has always been. Just make sure that the three of you stick together and everything will be all right."_

Cornelia looked carefully up at Edmund, who met her glance. The two of them immediately looked away from each other again. Lucy let out a small sigh, having watched the exchange before she continued, " _I do wish you were here with us. It's been such an adventure, but nothing like our times in Narnia. America is very exciting, except we never see Father. He works so very hard. I was invited to the British Consul's tea party this week by a naval officer, who happens to be very handsome."_

Edmund then stood up and walked to the very Narnian looking painting.

 _"I think he fancies me."_ Lucy continued Susan's letter. _"It seems the Germans have made the crossing difficult right now. Times are hard. Mother hopes that the three of you won't mind another few months in Cambridge – tell Cornelia not to worry, Aunt Clarissa and Uncle David knows and they are both well."_

Cornelia rolled her eyes, muttering to herself. "Of course they are."

Edmund turned around and looked incredulously at his sister, Lucy very much mirroring his expression.

"Another few months?" Lucy exclaimed. "How will we survive?"

Edmund sat down next to his sister again, taking the letter from her before speaking, "You're lucky. At least you're sharing with each other. I'm stuck with mullet mouth."

Lucy stood up and walked to the mirror, "Susan and Peter are the lucky ones. Out on adventures."

"And not stuck in Cambridge with mullet mouth for another couple months." Cornelia commented, earning a smirk from Edmund before he lay down on Lucy's bed, reading through the letter.

"Yeah, they're the eldest and we're the youngest. We don't matter as much." Edmund commented dryly.

"Oh, shut up!" Cornelia snapped, making Edmund and Lucy look worriedly at her. Cornelia calmed down visibly. She sighed and continued, "Be happy that they're at least still going strong together. Mine sent me here to keep me from knowing how much they're arguing."

Silence followed for a moment as Cornelia watched Lucy watch herself in the mirror. Cornelia's brows furrowed as Lucy tugged a lock of her hair behind her left ear while she practiced smiling.

"Do you think I look anything like Susan?" Lucy then asked.

Cornelia groaned confusedly, and closed her eyes. Her head had started hurting from all the emotions and angst. Neither Cornelia or Edmund answered Lucy's question. Instead, Edmund sighed and looked up as if he had seen something familiar. "Lucy, Cor. Have you seen this ship before?" he questioned.

Cornelia let the fact that he had used her nickname slide and instead crossed the floor to stand beside him by the only painting in the room.

"Yes," Lucy smiled as she joined them. "It's very Narnian-looking, isn't it?"

"Just another reminder that we're here and not there." Edmund remarked.

"There once were two orphans and only child who wasted their time believing in Narnian nursery rhymes." Eustace's voice by the door behind them startled them.

But as the three of them turned around, Cornelia glared the younger boy down. Her head told her not to give him the satisfaction of upsetting her, but his words did. And Edmund seemed to notice as he looked at her concernedly, before glaring at his cousin enraged. Edmund then took a few, threatening steps forward as he seethed, "Please let me hit him."

Lucy's grip on his arm stopped him as she appalled said, "No!"

Cornelia scoffed, crossing her arms over her chest. "Disappointing."

"Don't you ever knock?" Edmund questioned Eustace instead.

"It's my house," Eustace drawled. "I'll do what I please. You're just guests."

"And that's why the whole gentleman-aspect is surely utterly lost on you, isn't it?" Cornelia remarked slyly.

Eustace made a face at her before he closed the door behind him. Then he asked as he entered the room and sat down on Lucy's bed, his arms crossed over his chest, "What's so fascinating about that picture anyway? It's hideous."

"You won't see it from the other side of the door." Edmund remarked tightlipped as the three of them were eyeing the painting. Eustace didn't reply, but Cornelia wouldn't put it past him to make a face at his cousin.

"Edmund, Cor, it looks like the water is actually moving." Lucy commented softly.

"What rubbish!" Eustace retorted behind them. "See? That's what happens when you read all those fanciful novels and fairy tales of yours."

"Shut up!" Cornelia snapped, her head turning to glare at the boy.

"There once was a boy called Eustace," Edmund cited, "Who read books full of facts that were useless."

Lucy and Cornelia grinned at their older relative, who smirked at them.

"People who read fairy tales are always the sort who become a hideous burden to people like me who read books with real information."

Cornelia and Edmund turned around glaring at the boy, who was still sat on Lucy's bed.

"Hideous burden?" Edmund repeated as he walked threateningly towards his cousin who in return stood up. Cornelia watched the younger boy gulp and knew that he was no match to Edmund. She wasn't going to stop Edmund until it became necessary. Their brat of a cousin was beginning to beat on her nerves.

"I haven't seen you lift a finger since we've been here. Have you, Cor?" Edmund continued.

"Nope." Cornelia replied dryly, popping the 'p'.

Eustace was about to open the door, but Edmund prevented him from doing so. Cornelia smirked as Edmund continued, "I have a right mind to tell your father you stole Aunt Alberta's sweets."

Edmund made Eustace go away from the door and backwards towards Cornelia.

"Liar!" claimed Eustace.

"Oh, really?" Cornelia remarked, making Eustace jump and turn to look at her before looking back at his older cousin.

"Edmund, the painting." Lucy remarked behind Cornelia. She had half a mind to turn around and look what was wrong with the painting, but she really enjoyed seeing Eustace squirming right now.

"I found them under your bed, and you know what?" Edmund questioned his cousin before smirking, "I licked every one of them."

Cornelia giggled as Eustace looked disgusted at them, "Ugh! I'm infected with you!"

Then a splash of water seemed to hit Cornelia's neck and she twirled around and gasped. Lucy stood in front of the now very much alive painting. Water was running through it, and splashes of water went out of the painting and onto them.

"Ed, the painting!" She exclaimed.

"What's going on here?" Eustace questioned in disbelief as the water suddenly began pouring out of the frame, slowly filling the room.

"Lucy, do you think-?" Edmund started but was interrupted by Eustace, who exclaimed, "It's some sort of trick! Stop it or I'll tell mother. Mother!"

Cornelia grinned at her cousins who grinned equally at her. Thank you, Aslan…

"I'll just smash the rotten thing."

Cornelia barely got to react before she was pushed to the ground, landing with a splash in the water when Eustace had knocked her down on his way to the painting.

"No, Eustace! No!" Edmund cried as both he and Lucy tried to wrestle the painting from him. Cornelia stood up and tried to help them.

"We can't stop it, Eustace! Let go!" Cornelia cried.

"Get off me! Get off!" Eustace demanded.

Cornelia could barely hear what was being said as the water poured into their faces.

"Let go of it, Eustace! Put it down!" Lucy coaxed.

The four of them then dropped the painting, and the room then began filling up with water drastically faster. Soon, Cornelia lost her footing and went under for a few seconds before she resurfaced.

Cornelia gasped for air as long as she could until she was pulled under again. She watched the others also struggling. Cornelia then took one last breath before she let herself being pulled under as the entire room was underwater.

* * *

And so the adventure begins...and what would be a more fitting day for an adventure to begin than Christmas? :D Happy Holidays!


	4. Chapter Three

A/N: I would originally have published this on New Year's Day, but I'm in doubt whether I'll have time tomorrow, so you'll get the chap tonight! Happy New Years to you all - stay safe from all the fireworks and I hope 2018 will treat you all well! :)  
Disclaimer goes for all chapters.  
Enjoy ;-)

* * *

 **Goldenflower 3: The Last Return**

 **Chapter Three:**

* * *

Lucy was the first to resurface. The teen gasped for air at first and then noticed where she was. Out on open water with no sign of land. Were they in Narnia? They had to be, only Aslan would create such a magical entrance for them.

"Edmund!" Lucy called for her older brother, all the while she coughed the last water out of her lungs. She looked frantically around her while flailing with her arms to keep herself on the surface as the waves weren't too mild. The sky was a pretty blue with few white clouds.

"Edmund!" she called again, this time a teeny bit more worried. She had seen Edmund, Cornelia and Eustace underwater, and they hadn't been far behind her, although the water was more unclear below the surface.

Mere seconds afterwards, Edmund's head emerged and broke the surface. The older Pevensie gasped for air like his sister had, Eustace breaking the surface seconds after him.

"Edmund!" Lucy called again.

"What's happening? Where are we?" Eustace questioned frantically when he finally had enough air in his lungs again.

Edmund became alarmed as his younger sister's panicked voice, "Eustace, swim!"

The dark-haired teen turned as a shadow fell over them. His eyes widened and his body immediately set into action by the sight of a big ship sailing with a steady speed towards them.

"What's going on?" their cousin kept questioning.

"Eustace, come on!" Lucy demanded.

"Come on, move!" Edmund chimed in as he grabbed a piece of his cousin's clothing and pulled, his muscles beginning to tense at the extra weight despite them being situated in water.

"Keep swimming!" Lucy told them.

Behind them, they suddenly heard four splashes following each other rapidly. Tiredly, the three teens didn't stop swimming, although all of them were gasping for air.

"Edmund!" Edmund's chest clenched hearing his baby sister's frantic, tiredly call for him. He looked around him and quickly situated where his sister was behind him as well as Eustace. Then it hit him. Where was Cornelia?

"Edmund! It's Caspian!" Lucy's voice rung out, much happier and relieved.

Edmund stopped swimming as he looked around as two older men were approaching him and Eustace.

"It's all right, boys. You're safe now." The man approaching Edmund said calmly.

"Are we in Narnia?" Edmund asked.

"Yes, you're in Narnia." The man replied with a smile.

"I don't want to go! I want to go back to England! I'm going back to England!" Eustace wailed beside Edmund, causing the latter the urge to roll his eyes, but then he realized that their other cousin still hadn't resurfaced.

Edmund paled and looked panicked around, "Cornelia?"

"Edmund, where's Cornelia?" Lucy shouted as she too now also had noticed that their cousin was nowhere to be seen as Caspian had lead her towards a lifting device by the ship.

"I don't know!" Edmund replied, looking frantically around. "Cornelia!"

"Cornelia was with you?" Caspian asked Lucy, sounding deeply concerned.

"Yes, she was right with us. I don't understand." Lucy croaked.

Caspian grabbed Lucy's chin gently as she was panicking, forcing him to look into his eyes.

"Hey, Lu. We'll find her, I promise." Caspian said softly before he helped her up on the lift.

Caspian then got the attention of his men when they heard a gasp for air behind them all.

"Cornelia!" Edmund called, and Caspian's heart dropped partly concerned, partly relieved.

"Get them aboard!" Caspian called to his men as he immediately began swimming towards another of his dear friends and sister figures.

"Cor!" Edmund called as he was being led towards the lift as his sister was lifted up.

Caspian patted the younger boy's shoulder as he passed, promising him, "I'll get her, Ed. She'll be all right."

Caspian's pace quickened as he noticed how fatigued Cornelia's body seemed to be, slowly being pulled under before she stubbornly fought her way back up. The other thing he noticed next was how much she had grown. He had expected to safe a little girl – instead, he was saving a young woman.

He got to her just as she went under again. Caspian easily hauled her up again and held her tightly.

"You were always one for the dramatic entrances, aren't you?" Caspian spoke jokingly, swiftly preventing himself from being hit by Cornelia's hair whip as she turned to look at him in shock. That shock then turned into a grin of pure happiness and relief.

"Caspian!" the teen exclaimed before throwing her arms around her friend's neck, embracing him tightly. The Narnian King in return merely laughed as he returned the embrace before he led the teen towards the ship. He helped up on the lift and got up himself, placing an arm around her, holding her securely. He smiled as he nodded to his men above and the lift was elevated. He definitely knew one who would be as happy to see Cornelia as he himself had been.

As they came aboard the ship, Caspian helped her off and led her towards her cousins who smiled in relief seeing that she was all right.

"That was thrilling!" Lucy told Caspian who was given a blanket for Cornelia.

"How in the world did you end up here?" Caspian questioned with a smile.

"I have no idea." Lucy told him earnestly.

"Caspian." Edmund called behind them.

Caspian turned and left the two girls with a smile as he was given a second and third blanket.

"Edmund." He greeted as he put a blanket around the boy.

"Great to see you." Edmund told him.

"It's great to see you." Caspian replied with smile.

"Didn't you call for us?" Lucy questioned as the three Pevensies walked with Caspian.

"No. Not this time." Caspian replied confusedly.

"Well, whatever the case, I'm just glad to be here." Edmund remarked.

Caspian then heard a sneeze behind Edmund and immediately realized that he was still holding a blanket in his hands.

"Cor, forgive me. You really need to-."

At the moment that Caspian turned, he was left stunned, the smirk plastered on his face faded slowly while he was holding out the blanket. The cause was Cornelia, who with a calm exterior did a simple movement with her hand over her body, a nonexistent wind pulling at her clothes before it stilled. Her clothes were now dry instead of wet.

Cornelia then looked innocently up at them and Edmund's amused voice sounded behind him, "I don't think she'll be needing that anymore."

A quite girly scream then erupted behind Cornelia, causing them all to jump at first. Secondly, it made the three Pevensies sigh in exasperation when they realized the scream and following complains came from Eustace – Caspian merely glanced amusedly at his friends and at the boy on the deck struggling with Reepicheep, who calmly said, "Now calm down, sir."

"Get that thing off me!" Eustace screamed while the crew along with Caspian seemed very amused. Cornelia met her older cousin's eyes, silently questioning whether to step in or not, but Edmund dismissed it with a quick shake of his head. So Cornelia stood back and watched her cousins' dreadful relative struggle against a mouse, a talking mouse at that. Oh, boy, Eustace would fall into a coma once he realized that his logic was well undermined here.

"Get that thing off me!" Eustace screamed again, finally managing to push Reep off him and throw him a good way.

 _"Impressive,"_ Cornelia acknowledged. _"Now, if he weren't such a prissy, he could actually become a fighter."_

Reepicheep rolled skillfully, though not without complaint in their direction as the crew moved for the mouse. Reep landed elegantly on his legs and looked back at the boy confusedly.

"Reepicheep!" Lucy then exclaimed, truly excited to see their little friend again. Cornelia was too. Reepicheep was a little mouse, yes, but a fierce and loyal Narnian who Cornelia was proud to have fought beside in battle.

The mouse turned at the call of his name. His small eyes widened upon seeing the children before him before with a smile and bow each greeted them, "Your majesties. My lady..."

"Hello, Reep. What a pleasure." Edmund greeted pleasantly.

Taking off his hat, Reep bowed once again, "The pleasure is all mine, sir."

Reep then looked concernedly at the three children before questioning as he looked back towards Eustace, who was slowly coming back onto his feet, "But first, what to do about this hysterical interloper?"

Eustace, still on all fours, turned and pointed an accusing finger at the mouse, "That giant rat thing just tried to claw my face off!"

"I was merely trying to expel the water from your lungs, sir." Reepicheep explained formally.

Eustace now stood upright, his eyes widening still with a finger pointed at Reepicheep while holding onto the railing with the other and exclaimed, truly shocked. "It talked! Did you see? Did anyone just hear that? It just talked!"

"He always talks." One of the crewmen remarked.

"Actually, it's getting him to shut up that's the trick." Caspian smirked, causing the men to roar in laughter. Edmund and Lucy smiled, and while Cornelia couldn't help herself either, she still smacked Caspian's arm in disbelief.

"At least he has something intelligent to say." Cornelia smirked at Caspian with a lowered voice. Caspian's eyes narrowed to look down at the teen, his eyes glimpsing with mirth. It was his promise that Cornelia's comment hadn't gone unnoticed and would most likely be repaid in form of either scaring her when she least expected it or tickling her mercilessly until tears were falling from her eyes.

"The moment there is nothing to be said, Your Highness," Reepicheep replied tiredly with a pointed look up at his king, "I promise you, I will not say it."

"I don't know what kind of prank this is, but I want to wake up _right now_!" Eustace insisted in his usual high-pitched voice whenever something wasn't going according to his head.

"Perhaps we could throw him back?" Reepicheep turned and suggested hopefully at them.

Cornelia and Edmund immediately looked at each other as if they were considering it. Lucy's eyes widened and she slapped Edmund's arm, sending the two of them a scolding look. "You two!"

Cornelia smiled innocently at her younger cousin at the same time as Caspian wrapped an arm around the former's shoulder just as Eustace' complains continued. This time he addressed the crew, who was having a field trip by this hysterical newcomer.

"I demand to know, just where in the blazes am I?" Eustace screamed at a couple of crewmembers, when a huge black minotaur then stepped forward.

"You're on the Dawn Treader," it spoke, its voice very deep. "..the finest ship in Narnia's navy."

Eustace merely looked weirdly at the minotaur, stiffened up before he with a sigh fainted, hitting the deck again, out cold. Cornelia put a hand to her mouth to hide the laugh from escaping her lips as she could feel Lucy's eyes upon them as the crew members laughed openly. Cornelia was greatly amused yet felt slightly concerned for Eustace and his well-being.

The minotaur then turned and looked guiltily and confused at Caspian, who has walked up to him.

"Was it something I said?" It questioned confusedly.

Cornelia could see on Caspian's shaking shoulders that he was close to laughter as he told the minotaur, "See to him, will you?"

The minotaur nodded, "Your Majesty."

The Narnian then looked at the boy, grunted once as if it was a huff before he easily picked Eustace up and brought him below deck.

With a clap on Edmund's shoulder, Caspian past them and climbed a couple of steps that led up to the helm so that everyone could see him.

"Men," Caspian exclaimed, speaking loud and clear in his formal, kingly voice. "Behold our castaways."

Their friend motioned to the three remaining children, who all turned to look at the crowd.

"Edmund the Just, Lucy the Valiant and Lady Cornelia the Lionhearted." Caspian proclaimed, "Respectively high king and queen and the Goldenflower of Narnia."

Instantly, the crew all bowed in respect to the monarchs and legend. Soon, the formalities were gone as the Pevensies and Caspian began mingling with the crew. They met the ship's captain, Drinian, whom Caspian personally had selected. Cornelia was popular among the crew members, especially those who could be classified as bachelors back home in her old world. Edmund but especially Caspian noticed, and he also noticed how at ease she seemed to be.

"She's different." He spoke out loud. Edmund's eyes didn't leave his cousin, but Lucy looked at him and smiled with a sigh, "Yes, isn't it wonderful? After all this time."

"Oh no," a new, yet familiar voice spoke behind them. Although the person it belonged to hadn't had as deep a voice the last time they had seen him as he had now.

Immediately, a tall, lean figure emerged from the shadows with mirth in his kind, dark brown eyes as he looked at the newcomers and an amused king with a smirk, "Does that mean she'll be even more of a know-it-all now than she was when she was twelve? Because if that's the case, I'll suggest to send her back into the water."

Lucy's mouth was open wide before an excited smile came over her features and a squeal escaped her lips, "Tristane?"

Cornelia immediately stiffened and twirled around, not quite believing what she was hearing until she saw it. First, she didn't react, but when the person a little in front of her didn't disappear, her shoulders relaxed and then slowly, an anticipating smile appeared on her face.


	5. Chapter Four

A/N: I am so sorry for the long wait, but I'm currently figuring out what I want to study when I hopefully enroll at the university in September, so until then at least, updates won't be frequent. I promise to do what I can however :).  
Disclaimer goes by all chapters.  
Enjoy ;-).

* * *

 **Goldenflower 3: The Last Return**

 **Chapter Four:**

* * *

Cornelia couldn't quite describe what went through her when she turned around to see Tristane stand by her cousins with a satisfied smirk on his face. She had missed him a lot after they had returned to England, and returning to find him and Caspian there felt like she was returning home. They were all older since the last time they all had seen each other, but Tristane still wore his trademark smirk proudly.

Cornelia then walked up to her friend, inwardly cursing Tristane for becoming much taller than her. She had gotten taller too, but Tristane was just – _taller_. She simply looked up at him and said, "You're taller."

Reflections of light seemed to dance in Tristane's orbs as he with a smirk retorted, "And you're still clearly as observant."

"Come on," Caspian chuckled. "Let's find you some other clothes."

* * *

"I look like a boy."

Lucy's simple, unhappy statement was enough to make Cornelia chuckle. Having just tied her boots, the fifteen-year-old looked up at her cousin, who was looking at her with a pout. She and Cornelia had been given Caspian's personal chamber to stay in while the king, Edmund, Tristane and Eustace bunked with the rest of the crew.

Cornelia smiled softly at Lucy, "I think it looks great on you, Lu. You're really pretty."

Lucy scoffed. "You're _always_ pretty, Cor. Just like Susan."

Cornelia's head tilted slightly as she suddenly became concerned by her younger cousin's words. "Is there something wrong, Lu?"

The teen watched suspiciously her cousin's shoulders stiffening for a moment before she looked up and replied, "No. Nothing. Why do you ask?"

The fifteen-year-old sighed before looking to her cousin softly. "Look. No matter what it is, Lu, just remember that looks isn't everything. The prettiest girl in school could easily also be the most unintelligent and insufferable brat, like let's say Lorelai Yates?"

At that, Lucy couldn't help but beam as warmth filled her inside by her cousin's words. Lorelai Yates was a pretty brunette in Cornelia's year, and both younger Pevensies had instantly taken a great dislike to the girl.

"That's better." Cornelia smiled before she motioned to the door. "Come on. Let's go find the others."

As soon as Cornelia and Lucy stepped out of the cabin, a fresh wind hit their faces.

"Ready, you two?" Edmund's voice sounded below them. The two girls looked at each other and then at their clothes before they with a sigh walked down the stairs.

Caspian turned as the two girls descended the stairs, both boys wearing similiar smirks on their faces. Tristane was nowhere to be seen.

"Ah, excuse me, lads. " Caspian drawled teasingly, "I don't suppose you've seen two young girls around here anywhere?"

"All right!" Lucy and Cornelia exclaimed, each of them delivering a firm slap on Caspian's arm on each side as he and Edmund chuckled.

"Come on." Caspian chuckled and led the way into the captain's quarters.

When Caspian opened the door into the king's quarters, Cornelia had nearly stopped and stared in awe. It was a beautifully decorated room with several illustrations of them and their adventures, just like in Aslan's How. On their left, just as they walked in, a case stood with a circular golden form with a golden embroidered lion, resembling Aslan. The room was light and warm and instantly made them feel at home.

"Aslan." Lucy smiled as she stood up close to the case with the golden lion's head on it.

"Look." Lucy commented as she ventured around the room. "Susan's bow and arrows."

"Lucy." Caspian closed a cabinet next to the case with Aslan on it, and brought out something familiar, holding it out to the youngest Pevensie.

Lucy's smile widened as she approached their friend. "My healing cordial...and dagger."

She was about to take her things out of Caspian's hands before she stopped and withdrew her arms, looking up at Caspian questioningly, "Oh, may I?"

"Of course." Caspian smiled and brought the box closer to her. "They're yours."

"Peter's sword." Edmund suddenly said and walked towards something behind Cornelia.

"Yes." Caspian replied and put down the wooden box that had contained Lucy's gifts from Father Christmas before joining Edmund and Cornelia by Rhindon. "I looked after it, as promised."

"Here." Caspian said and took the sword from its place before handing it to Edmund, "Hold it if you wish."

"No, no, it's yours." Edmund replied. "Peter gave it to you."

Caspian replied with a nod before turning away towards another cabinet, "I did save this for you, though."

He then brought out a thick, silver cylinder-looking thing, and Cornelia realized that it was the torch Edmund had forgotten in Narnia.

Caspian threw the torch to the Just king with a smile, and which the latter caught easily. Edmund nodded with a smile, "Thanks."

Edmund soon realized that the torch was still working as he blinded himself with the light. Caspian then caught Cornelia's eyes and smirked as he went to a dark-wooden chest and opened it. Cornelia's smile widened more and more as she identified the stuff her friend was pulling out. There were her bow and arrows and her twin daggers. The three of them then watched curiously as Caspian's posture stiffened and he kept rummaging through the chest.

"Is there something wrong, Caspian?" Cornelia questioned softly.

"Are you looking for this?"

The four of them turned to look at Tristane who stood by the door. Cornelia instantly recognized what he was holding up – Omega.

Caspian closed the chest and handed Cornelia's weapons to her, questioning his protege, "Tristane, again?"

Tristane merely shrugged at the man he considered a brother figure, "What, everyone else carries a sword around."

Caspian didn't say anything else, but Cornelia couldn't help but notice the pointed look he was sending the younger boy.

Cornelia wanted to create a happier mood, so she smirked at Caspian while motioning to Tristane, "Has he learned how to fight on a horse, yet?"

Tristane sent Cornelia a narrowed look, "I have."

"Meh, still a bit wobbly." Caspian replied with a smirk, causing all of them except for Tristane to laugh.

"Very funny." Tristane sent Caspian a good-natured glare before handing the sword over to Cornelia, but she held up a hand, stopping the boy's movements.

"Keep it," Cornelia smirked. "Seems like you need it more than I do."

Tristane hesitantly sheathed Omega by his hip before Edmund questioned, "So, what have we missed?"

Caspian brought them all over to a table where several maps lay scattered after having summoned Captain Drinian.

"Since you left," Caspian told them, "the Giants of the North surrendered unconditionally...then we defeated the Calormen armies at the Great Desert. There is peace across all of Narnia."

"Peace?" Edmund questioned excitedly.

"In just over three years." Caspian confirmed.

Cornelia frowned at Lucy's next movements as she spoke up, "And, have you found yourself a queen in those three years?"

Wait a minute. The comments about not being pretty? Tucking a strand of hair behind her ear while smiling? Was Lucy _flirting?_

"No. " Caspian denied gently. "Not one to compare with your sister."

"Hang on. If there are no wars to fight and no one is in trouble..." Edmund interrupted, "Then why are we here?"

"It's a good question." Caspian replied, looking up at them. "I've been asking myself the same thing."

Cornelia looked down at the map as Edmund asked, "So, where are we sailing to?"

Caspian started pointing at the map, and Cornelia's eyes eagerly followed her friend's finger until he started speaking , "Before I took back the throne from my uncle.."

Cornelia frowned, thinking, _"We helped you."_

"..he tried to kill my father's closest friends and most loyal supporters."

Caspian turned around, leaned against the table on which the maps lay, and directed his attention to several drawings hanging on the wall. Cornelia walked closer to get a better look along with Edmund and Lucy.

"The seven lords of Telmar," Caspian continued. "They fled to the Lone Islands."

Caspian pointed at the map, but Cornelia could point out the Lone Islands in her sleep. They had lived in Narnia for longer than Caspian had lived. "No one has heard from them since."

Cornelia looked concernedly at Caspian as his eyes saddened. Edmund looked at Caspian too before he looked back at the drawings, "So you think something has happened to them?"

"Well, if it has, it's my duty to find out." Caspian replied softly.

Cornelia put a hand on the king's shoulder. Caspian looked at her questioningly, "And we're here to help you."

Caspian smiled softly before he with a gentle motion took Cornelia's hand from his shoulder into his own, squeezing it softly.

"Well, what's east of the Lone Islands?" Lucy then questioned.

Cornelia was about to tease Lucy for not having paid close enough attention in their lessons with the beavers when Captain Drinian replied, "Uncharted waters. Things you can barely imagine. Tales of sea serpents and worse."

Cornelia smirked, stifling a chuckle. She had heard enough sea tales when they grew up to become monarchs to actually believe in such things. But Lucy's eyes narrowed concernedly to her cousin and brother, both of whom tried very hard not to laugh.

Edmund smirked with a small huff, "Sea serpents?"

"All right, Captain." Caspian interrupted, having grabbed an apple from a bowl nearby and smirked before he took a bite of the apple. "...that's enough of your tall tales."

The sound of the waves clashing against the sides of the Dawn Treader and the wind in her hair calmed Cornelia visibly. She had never really been on a ship before, but even so, she could tell that the Dawn Treader was one of the finest ships there was. And it had been made by the Narnians and were used by the Narnians. She couldn't quite fathom the fact that there was peace in all of Narnia. Five years ago, she had been a scared eleven-year-old who had been sent away from a war, only to land in the middle of another in a world she could never in her wildest dreams have imagined was real. And when they had returned to Narnia the second time around, another war was fought.

 _"Maybe the third time's the charm after all.."_ Cornelia thought with a blissful smile as she looked at the sea. There was nothing in sight, only blue sky with light marshmallow clouds and blue water. It was truly astonishing. She could stay right where she stood forever.

"You look happy."

Cornelia jumped before she smiled again as Caspian joined her by the railing. The fifteen-year-old looked up at the king and smiled sincerely, "I am. It's like coming home."

"Like I told you." Caspian took a gentle hold of her hand, "This will always be your home. Narnia will always welcome you with open arms."

Cornelia smirked. "You sound more like a king for every day that passes. Wow."

Caspian smiled. "I guess I've finally embraced who I'm supposed to be."

"You haven't embraced who you are, Cas. You've always been gentle and good." Cornelia shook her head and smiled. "You've embraced your title and the responsibilities that come with it."

Caspian looked perplexed for a moment as he tilted his head before he with a chuckle teased, "Are you growing up on me, my lady?"

Cornelia giggled and leaned into Caspian, who embraced her with his arm. "I guess so," she replied softly.

"Andrew?" Caspian questioned softly.

Cornelia shook her head softly, but replied shortly after as she thought her reply could be interpreted in two ways. "He hasn't come home."

"He will." Caspian told her determinedly. Cornelia simply smiled. _"I hope you're right,"_ she thought.

"Does the lady still know how to handle a sword?" Tristane's voice teased.

Cornelia smirked and turned around along with Caspian. Seeing that Tristane stood with Omega in hand, Cornelia feigned hurt and looked at Caspian, who shrugged, before she directed her attention back to her friend.

"Using my own sword against me? Really?" Cornelia questioned.

Tristane smiled his trademark charming, boyish smile and merely shrugged as if he didn't have a care in the world, as he let his hand slide lightly over the flat side of the blade. "The lady could always say no."

Cornelia huffed, "Never. May I?"

She had extended her hands towards Caspian, who pulled the sword out of its sheath and held it towards her, still holding onto it, as Cornelia took ahold of it as he smirked. "Most definitely, my fair lady."

"Shut up." Cornelia snapped gently, pulling the sword from Caspian's hand, the latter simply chuckling while she did so.

It didn't last very long before the crew members had gathered to watch the duel between the Goldenflower and Tristane. They had formed a circle around the competitors. Caspian was watching from the ground while Edmund and Lucy watched from the small balcony, overlooking the entire deck.

The two teenagers had advanced half-heartedly at each other up until now. Although, just by the few blows they had given each other so far, Cornelia could clearly feel that Tristane had trained. He was stronger, more forceful and he moved faster as well.

"Scared you'll ruin your attire, my lady?" Tristane smirked as he had struck and Cornelia had dismissed his attempt with a simple block.

Cornelia snorted in a way the ladies at the court and her mother's friends would think was highly unladylike. "Is that the best insult you can come up with?"

Tristane smirked, making challenging eyes at his friend, "Then give me what you've got, princess."

Cornelia glared good-naturedly at him before she with a small snarl advanced, and the real duel began. Both of them were quick on their feet, so the blows steadily increased in numbers and speed. Sometimes, the only thing Cornelia could see was a silver line in the form of the blade coming towards her. But she blocked everything Tristane came with, some with more difficulty than others. He had really improved in three years. Cornelia was impressed and was sure that Caspian had trained him himself with Glenstorm as an assisting trainer. He had Caspian's forceful blows and Glenstorm's elegance with his hand and wrist-work. Cornelia had to admit that she slowly could feel beams of sweat on her neck.

"Is the lady becoming tired? Would she like a chair?" Tristane smirked teasingly.

Cornelia couldn't help but chuckle before she struck hard. Tristane managed to block, but she could tell from his semi-surprised look on his face that he hadn't expected as forceful a blow like that from her.

"Less words, more du-el!" Cornelia exclaimed as she landed blow after blow in a steady pace which Tristane had a hard time keeping up with. The crew cheered as Tristane finally had to break away from the conflict if he didn't want to stand with his back against a pillar which would cause him to become less immobile and the space to move would become cramped.

"As you wish." Tristane smirked in-between breaths. Then he counterattacked with even more forceful blows, but Cornelia noticed. Tristane was breathing heavier, and his blows didn't strike as quick as before, which gave Cornelia more time to think. It was only a matter of time. She just had to tire him out.

"Something wrong, Tristane?" Cornelia smirked.

Tristane snorted humorlessly. "What should I feel wrong about, Cornelia?"

The teen shrugged, smiling innocently. "Just checking."

Tristane's brows rose, his reflexes only just managing to save him as Cornelia started another quick attack. They twisted and turned around each other as the fight had become closer to their bodies as they almost faced each other nose to nose. Cornelia jumped out of the way of one of Tristane's blows, but somehow he trapped her in his arms, her back turned to him, their swords fighting for dominance against each other near Cornelia's neck.

Cornelia then noticed how lean Tristane seemed to be, his scent of wood and the liquid you used to clean swords with filled her nostrils.

Stop.

Cornelia blinked confusedly for a few seconds. What in the world was that?

Frustrated, she used nearly all her strength to push herself out of Tristane's grip. When she twirled around, she expected him to come at her right away, but he was still stumbling slightly, looking slightly dazed as their eyes met. Confused blue orbs met dazed brown orbs that slowly became clearer and clearer the longer the two of them looked at each other. Cornelia noticed the glances all around them as well as the sudden awkwardness, so she decided to end it. Taking a deep breath, she attacked her friend without warning, Tristane nearly missing to block several times. The two suddenly twirled around each other again, but this time the two of them somehow ended up getting past each other's defence, and at the same time, the two teens had an arm with a part of the blade at each other's necks.

Applause from the crew erupted, and both Cornelia and Tristane were breathing heavily as they smiled softly at each other.

A hand then clasped onto each of their shoulder. The two of them looked up to see Caspian smiling proudly at them.

Caspian smiled at Cornelia, "Well fought." Then the King of Narnia gave his brother-figure's shoulder a squeeze, causing Tristane to look up to see Caspian smiling proudly at him. "Both of you."

Next, Tristane's wide smile warmed Cornelia's heart. It was obvious that the two of them really had become close in the three years she and her cousins had been gone, and that Tristane looked up to Caspian was more than an understatement.

Cornelia then met Caspian's gaze, and she smugly motioned up towards Edmund with her eyes. It took Caspian a couple of seconds to catch on, but when he did, he smiled just as smugly as a chesire cat, and Cornelia handed his sword back to him.

"Ed!" Caspian called, gaining her older cousin's attention. Caspian grinned, motioning towards the deck, "Shall we?"

Cornelia smiled happily when she saw a light dance in Edmund's eyes as his lips curved into a smile. "Gladly."

She stepped away with Tristane and was instantly given a mug of water each. The two cousins smiled gently at each other as they passed. Lucy waved down at Cornelia with a wide smile and thumbs up. Cornelia smiled widely back at her before she with a sip of her cup turned her attention towards Edmund and Caspian.

"Not bad, Sprout." Tristane commented quietly beside her. She could clearly feel the smirk radiate off him.

"You too, Sopespian. Not bad at all." Cornelia replied, a smile playing on her lips as well.

The two teens then turned their attention towards the present and former kings of Narnia as their swords met for the first time. Edmund and Caspian's fight was quicker to evolve than Cornelia and Tristane's had been – mostly because Edmund and Caspian didn't dance around and taunted each other. They focused on fighting. The crew soon had to find new places to stand as the two monarchs' fight was much more demanding of space. Tristane had climbed up onto the railing and held onto the ropes while Cornelia had found a seat on a staircase, leading up to the helm. As she took another sip of water, she couldn't help but notice how happy Edmund looked. Her cousin had been one of the most respected and loved politicians (if you could ever love a politican) during his and his siblings' reign. He was fair at trials and he was fair during war time – and that was after he had gotten the title 'the Just' as a child. Another thing about Edmund is that he loved sparring. And why not? He was excellent at it, and right now he was giving another great swordsman a run for his money. Caspian and Edmund fought like mad men and blocked and ducked each other's blows each time.

Cornelia gasped however when Caspian swung his sword close to Edmund's head, which Edmund ducked with grace at the last minute. Tristane and the crew cheered the both of them on, and Cornelia smiled fondly watching two of her closest friends play around with each other.

 _"Boys and their toys.."_ Cornelia thought, rolling her eyes.

Suddenly, their swords caught each other. Caspian spun around, giving him momentum and suddenly his arm and sword were at Edmund's neck just like Tristane's and Cornelia's had been at each other a while before.

The crew cheered by the fight, and Cornelia could hear Caspian and Edmund chuckle to each other as they slowly stepped away.

Caspian put a hand on Edmund's shoulder and squeezed it while pushing the teen gently while he smiled. "You've grown stronger, my friend."

"Seems I have." Edmund replied with a smile as Caspian played with his sword before placing it in its sheath.

"All right. Back to work." Drinian, who had been standing by the helm above Cornelia, called out to the crew. Without any protests the crew satisfactorily went back to work. Cornelia joined Edmund while Caspian and Tristane had went into the captain's quarters.

"Your Highness." A crewmember held out a mug of water towards Edmund.

"Thank you." Edmund thanked him gently. Cornelia smiled and put a hand on her cousin's shoulder as they neared Lucy, who sat on some barrels, her eyes focusing on the ocean around them.

Lucy smiled at them as they joined her by the barrels.

"Edmund, Cornelia." Lucy spoke up with furrowed brows and a slight nervous tone. The two older Pevensies turned to look questioningly at Lucy.

"Do you think if we keep sailing to the end of the world," Lucy continued, "we'll just... tip off the edge?"

Cornelia heard something that sounded like a hatch being opened, and she saw movement from the corner of her eyes, but she didn't react on it as Edmund's reassuring voice cut through, "Don't worry, Lu. We're a long way from there. "

"I see you're still talking nonsense, the three of you." Eustace's voice was shaky as he approached them. Cornelia groaned. She was just starting to forget about him, and then he turned up. Edmund looked at Cornelia and in unison they rolled their eyes.

"Are you feeling better?" Lucy, the always good-natured girl, questioned kindly.

"Yes," Eustace snorted, "No thanks to you. It's lucky I have an iron constitution."

Cornelia's eyes narrowed before a new voice sounded across behind them, "As effervescent as ever, I see."

Cornelia smiled at Reepicheep's comment. The noble mouse was holding onto the ropes beside them. "Find your sea legs?"

"Never lost them." Eustace snapped. "Simply dealing with the shock of things. Mother says I have an acute disposition due to my intelligence."

Edmund, who had just taking a sip of water, nearly choked by Eustace's comment. Cornelia tried to conceal her laughter and instead went on to clap Edmund's back.

"I don't think he has a cute anything." Reep commented. At that Lucy and Cornelia giggled.

"I'll have you all, as soon as we find civilization.." Eustace said loudly as he began to walk away from them with his front towards them, "I'm contacting the British Consul. Have you all arrested for kidnapping."

Cornelia nearly burst into laughter as Eustace collided with Caspian's chest as he and Tristane walked up to them.

"Kidnapping, is it?" Caspian questioned amusedly, sharing a look with Tristane before smirking at a speechless Eustace, "That's funny. I thought we saved your life."

"You held me against my will!" Eustace shrilled, looking back and forth between them all. Reepicheep let out a laugh, "Ha!"

"Did we now?" Tristane chuckled, sharing a bemused smile with Cornelia.

"In, what I must say, are the most unhygienic quarters." Eustace continued his rambling. Cornelia met Caspian's glance, and she simply shrugged and smirked at his disbelieving gaze. "It's like a zoo down there!"

"Are you sure he doesn't belong in this zoo he's talking so fondly about?" Tristane asked Cornelia quietly. Cornelia went into a fit of laughter, resulting in her choking on the water she had just poured into her mouth. Tristane grinned innocently, while Caspian on other side of her smiled softly while clapping her back comfortingly.

"He's quite the complainer, isn't he?" Reepicheep remarked amusedly.

"He's just warming up." Edmund informed nonchalantly.

"Land ho!"

All of them looked up at the call and looked to where the crew member in the mast was pointing. Caspian stormed up the stairs to Drinian and looked into the horizon. It took Cornelia a few moments to focus. And there it was. A couple of small tips of something stuck out of the water. The first sight of civilization since they had arrived here. Cornelia looked to her cousin, who shared the same look as her. It had been a long time since they had traveled outside of Narnia's main land. It was uncharted waters for them already.


	6. Chapter Five

A/N: There's a tiny film quote reference from a Marvel film hidden in here somewhere for those with a sharp memory - moderated to fit this context, but still ;)

* * *

 **Goldenflower 3: The Last Return**

 **Chapter Five:**

* * *

They were almost by the Lone Islands by sundown, so Caspian, Edmund, Cornelia, Drinian and Tavros had gathered at the front of the ship on a landing where you could see pretty much everything. The Lone Islands contained several cities by the coast with surrounding a wilderness, all of which always had belonged to Narnia.

"The Lone Islands. The port of Narrowhaven." Drinian introduced.

"Strange." Caspian said, handing a Narnian version of binoculars towards Edmund who took it gracefully from Drinian. "Not a Narnian flag in sight."

Cornelia's brows furrowed, and an unease immediately settled inside her. The Lone Islands had always been loyal to Narnia, and according to Caspian peace had settled all over, so why were there no flags?

"But the Lone Islands have always been Narnia's." Edmund spoke confusedly before he took a look himself. Exactly.

"Seems suspicious." Drinian spoke.

"It's definitely worth checking out," Cornelia commented. "With caution," she added.

Edmund looked to Drinian and Caspian and confidently said, "I say we prepare a landing party."

When there were no immediate response, Cornelia looked confusedly towards Caspian and just managed to see the glance he shared with Drinian.

"Drinian?" Edmund questioned when no response came.

"Forgive me, Your Majesty.." Drinian spoke carefully,"but the chain of command starts with King Caspian on this ship."

Cornelia winced, her eyes immediately narrowing to Caspian, who met her look with slight guilty eyes. Yet, there was also something else which Cornelia had never quite seen in Caspian's eyes before, not even after the Telmarines and his uncle Miraz had been defeated: confidence.

"Right." Edmund replied.

Cornelia could hear the slight shock and disappointment in her cousin's voice. Edmund had opened up fairly much to everyone since they returned from Narnia the first time around, but the smallest quirks, the levels of his voice – the smallest things that would give away his mood when he was closed off was perhaps only known by Cornelia and Lucy. They were both younger than him, but they were still the ones closest to him in age – and he and Cornelia had gone through Jadis' torture together, and Lucy was the little sister who was fiercely protective of her siblings and her family in general.

"We'll use longboats," Caspian finally spoke up. "Drinian, pick some men and come ashore." He ordered.

"Aye." Drinian agreed.

"Tavros." Caspian spoke, nodding to the minotaur. As he walked past Cornelia, she smiled at him as he gave her shoulder a squeeze. The smile, however, faltered just as soon as Drinian and Tavros walked away.

"Man the longboats, furl the sail and prepare to drop anchor." Tavros shouted. And turmoil and talk followed beneath them.

"Are you okay?" Cornelia questioned Edmund softly as she put a hand on his shoulder, although he was taller than her.

"Never better." Edmund replied, a hint of bitterness evident in his voice although he tried to hide it, as he lightly shook her hand off him and he turned around and walked down the same way their companions had.

Cornelia's hand lingered for a second before she dropped it slowly to her side. It stung when Edmund closed off to her, but it happened. Cornelia closed her eyes regretfully and sighed, taking a few breaths in and out before she followed her cousin.

When she descended the stairs she was met by Caspian, who smiled at her as he handed her daggers to her.

"I thought you might like to hold onto these." He smiled before walking past her again. Cornelia smiled gratefully at him although he was in a rush. But then she met Edmund's eyes who had been watching them from afar. His facial expression didn't give away much, but Cornelia could feel the tension coming from him in waves. He looked away quickly again, leaving the teen aching.

"What was that look about?"

Cornelia turned her head as Lucy walked up to her with a concerned look on her face. She didn't get to answer as Tristane walked by with a smirk, Omega in its hilt by his side. "He's like Cornelia when she is hungry."

Cornelia and Lucy couldn't help but smile a bit at that comment as they walked over to the railing and was helped down onto the longboats.

Somehow, Cornelia got 'lucky' and ended up squished between Caspian and Edmund. Reepicheep stood at the very front, holding onto the small cleft while Lucy and Eustace was placed in the other end. Tristane ended up in Drinian's boat right behind them.

"Onward! The thrill of the unknown lies ahead." Reepicheep said cherrily behind Cornelia, causing the teen to smile.

"Couldn't this have waited till the morning?" Eustace questioned as they finally reached the port. Edmund and Caspian left the boat with Reepicheep first. Cornelia was about to get out herself, when two hands were held out to her. She looked up to see that Caspian and Edmund each had extended a hand to help her out. She immediately caught the discreet glare Edmund sent Caspian, but which wouldn't have been visible to anyone that didn't know Edmund half as well as Cornelia did. Refusing to take sides, Cornelia grabbed both boys' hands and hoisted herself onto land.

"There is no honor in turning away from adventure, lad." Reepicheep spoke as if he was chiding a child.

"Listen." Lucy spoke. "Where is everyone?"

"Oh, come on, jelly legs." Reepicheep complained behind Cornelia, who was about to follow her cousins and Caspian.

"I'm capable of doing it myself." Eustace retorted.

Cornelia then rolled her eyes lightly as she seconds later heard a bump and a following moan from him.

 _"How that boy has managed so far is beyond me,"_ she thought as she with a sigh turned around to see Eustace sprawled on the steps she effortlessly had climbed seconds before.

"And you're certain he's related by blood?" Caspian questioned behind Cornelia.

"Their cousin, not mine." Cornelia motioned to her cousins with a raised eyebrow as Lucy looked slightly up-giving at Eustace while Edmund looked irritable.

It was eerily quiet as they stood on the harbor. Caspian swiftly brought out his crossbow, looking at every building's top cautiously. The only sound they could hear was the water hitting the shore and the sound of seagulls above them.

Cornelia then jumped as a bell sounded further into the town. Caspian brought up his crossbow towards the bell tower, but couldn't see anything. Cornelia looked to Edmund and Lucy. They had been caught as much off guard as her. They had to get used to being alert again. Caspian then lowered his crossbow and adressed his company, "Reepicheep, Tristane. Stay here with Drinian's men and secure the place. We'll head on. If we don't come back by dawn, send a party."

"Yes, Your Majesty." Reepicheep replied.

"But..." Tristane spoke up.

Caspian stopped and looked at the teenager. "We've already talked about this after the last time, Tristane."

When Tristane was about to object, Caspian added, "Please."

Cornelia looked confusedly at her cousins, who looked just as clueless as she. Then they looked at their two friends who were currently staring each other down.

"Cor, come on." Caspian finally said and nodded towards her cousins who were a bit in front of them. Cornelia then looked to Tristane and sent her friend an apologetic look.

"Who's going to have your back, then?" Tristane questioned as soon as they turned their backs to him. "And who's going to protect he-them?"

Caspian looked at Tristane, his voice softening. "We'll have each other's backs. And I'll protect _them_."

"Stand down, lad." Drinian put a hand on Tristane's shoulder, causing the teen to stumble a bit as he looked at them.

"It'll be fine, Tristane." Lucy spoke softly before she, Cornelia, Edmund, Caspian and Eustace slowly made their way into Narrowhaven.

"What was that all about?" Cornelia had walked up beside Caspian, the both of them looking cautiously around.

Caspian hesitated, then grimaced while his voice was soft but determined. "Might be better to discuss another time, Cor."

Cornelia sighed, but she knew he was right.

"Yeah." Cornelia jumped by the sudden rather loud, high-pitched outburst from Eustace. "Looks like nobody is in. Do you think we should head back?"

The teen's eyes narrowed at the boy as she, Caspian, Edmund and Lucy came to a stop to turn back and look at the very misplaced individual. Cornelia locked eyes with Edmund, who's nose wrinkled in frustration. But Cornelia certainly hadn't expected the question and softening demeanour coming from Edmund next, "Do you want to come here and guard..."

Edmund fought to find the word, "...something?"

Eustace' face and body language lit up by Edmund's suggestion as if his cousin just had come up with a genius observation.

"Yes." Eustace said as he rather quickly maneuvered his way towards them by running. "Good idea, cousin. Very..uhm..logical."

Cornelia rolled her eyes before Eustace reached them completely, so he wouldn't see. The four of them then stood and watched Eustace staring expectantly back at them. Cornelia then looked to Caspian and motioned to the dagger in his belt. Caspian sent the same look back, but it wasn't long because of Cornelia's persistence that the young king with an eye roll caved in and handed Eustace his dagger hesitantly.

"I should probably stay with him." Cornelia then said slowly.

Caspian frowned, a glimpse of concern in his eyes. "Are you sure?"

"Is that worry I detect, Caspian?" Cornelia teased. Caspian's lips quirked upwards as he sent her a bemused look before Lucy agreed, "It would make sense. We're three already and in that way Eustace won't be left alone."

Eustace scrunched up his nose. "I don't need any protecting."

"Shut up." Cornelia and Edmund replied in unison.

"If I didn't know any better, I'd say you were twins." Caspian commented with a smirk.

"Just go in so we can get back before it gets dark." Cornelia pleaded with an eye roll.

Just as Caspian, Edmund and Lucy turned their heads towards the building they recognized as the bell tower, Eustace assured them, "I've got it. I've got it. Don't worry."

Cornelia shared a nonchalant look with Lucy before the three of them disappeared inside. The teen then proceeded to stand back and watch Eustace step nervously around.

"I'm ready to go when you are!" Eustace called after them, causing Cornelia to roll her eyes.

Cornelia was on high alert as it was eerily quiet. She then heard a sign squeak and then a sound of something metallic hitting the ground.

She rolled her eyes as she thought, _"Oh, for the love of God.."_

Somehow, Eustace had managed to drop the dagger in fright by the sudden sqeak. A couple of minutes went by with nothing eventful besides Eustace' stepping around when Cornelia suddenly heard something. Eustace had stiffened completely. He had heard it as well. Cornelia looked around, her eyes scanning for the slightest thing out of place. At the same time she lowered herself into fighting position. She considered the odds; she would most likely be outnumbered, hell if Eustace somehow didn't have just a sense of how to fight, which she highly doubted, she would be alone. And no matter how much of a pain Eustace was, he was still family – far out, but still.

"Eustace, get behind me." Cornelia ordered calmly, but with an edge in her voice that clearly said that the topic wasn't up to debate.

Eustace slowly edged closer to her, but he still stared incredoulously at her.

"And what are you going to do about it?" He questioned rather rudely.

Cornelia's eyes narrowed towards him for a split second. _"Nobody would know. Nobody. Last I saw him he was alive...Yeah, I'll miss him too."_ She thought dryly before her attention snapped back to the street in front of them as she heard something snap. And then all hell broke loose.

Battle cries filled the air as a dozen men attacked them from three sides. Cornelia groaned. That and Eustace' panicking shrills made her head hurt. She felt her powers bubble inside her, but she quickly decided not to use them for several reasons.

 _"One,"_ she thought as she faced an opponent head on, _"These men didn't look like soldiers of any kind. They look like civilians who are bullies because they're stronger-looking than anyone else."_

Then she looked again and realized she had seen something familiar in Calormen. _"Slavetraders."_ She thought.

Cornelia was caught from behind, but with a swift movement forward, she grabbed the man's arm and twisted him around, lifting him over her so that he landed violently on his back in front of her. She huffed, _"Second, she and Eustace were outnumbered. It would only be a question of time before they were defeated. And if she used her powers, she knew that even if they escaped from here, she would be like a neon-sign symbolizing money to these people if they sold her to the right people."_

She just prayed that the other three were safe and would be alerted to the noise outside. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Eustace run around wildly, trying to escape his captors, who amusedly played around with him.

"Arrh!" In frustration she grabbed one man's head and ran it into another's, the two men falling like flies. She should have listened to Caspian. If she had been with them, she would at least have had a fighting chance. But she hadn't because her pity for the boy had resurfaced. She kept throwing the men around, but while she was occupied, she was suddenly hit in the back of the head with something hard. Shocked and dizzy, Cornelia stumbled to the ground, feeling someone standing over her. Her eyes closed half-willingly, half because she knew that the hit over the head was enough to knock even someone like her unconscious. But then she heard two whiffs followed by two groans and then the sound of someone falling to the ground. Cornelia then opened her eyes. The sight of a fallen man beside her didn't shock her, but the arrow with the small red feather in the man's back did. The only person she knew who carried red-feathered arrows was Susan, but that was impossible.

"Get your filthy hands off me!" Eustace shrilled, causing Cornelia to close her eyes in regret before she found herself being hoisted violently upwards. Her eyes were unfocused and woozy for a moment before she saw everything clear again. She could feel something warm and sticky slide down her face. Blood? She looked to Eustace who looked horrified back at her, especially her face.

Cornelia sighed, _"Yep, that's blood."_

A man, who looked like he was in charge, then stepped forward, his men gathering around him.

"Find out who the little helper was," the man drawled and motioned to their fallen comrades, "And throw him in the dungeons."

The leader then looked straight at her and approached her.

"That is not how you treat a lady, sir!" Eustace shrilled once again. Cornelia sighed. She guessed that this was the only kind of defensive comment Eustace could come up with. The leader looked back at Eustace with a bored look before one of the men holding him hissed at him to shut up. The leader then turned his attention back to her, walking right up into her face. A simple intimidation trick that might work on children and Eustace but Cornelia had been in such situations more times than she cared to count.

The leader looked her up and down, "A feisty one, are we? Where are the others you're with?"

Cornelia merely glared defyingly at the slavetrader.

The slave trader's lips quirked upwards quickly before he scowled. "And bold as well. I said, where are the others you're with?"

The fifteen-year-old's glare didn't falter, her lips quirking upwards into the ghost of a smirk. The slave trader scowled once again, his hand reeling back. Cornelia blinked, preparing herself for the hit.

"They're in there!"

Cornelia's eyes shot up, narrowing to Eustace. "Eustace," she snarled.

The slave trader then looked to Eustace, "Smart boy. Someone could learn something from you."

Cornelia gasped, unprepared as the slave trader back-handed her. The slave trader then motioned to the bell tower to his men and some disappeared immediately while others stayed behind. The leader grabbed Eustace himself and held a knife to his throat while Cornelia was put in chains and manuevered roughly after them into the building just as the bell rang loudly above them. Her head was beginning to feel heavier and heavier as she was forced into the darkness, her eyes closing every once in a while. Then she heard the sound of metal on metal. Someone was fighting. Cornelia tried to struggle against her captor's grip, but she was too out of it.

She then heard Eustace scream in front of her, causing her to groan in pain. The doors were at the same time closed behind them. And the fighting came to a stop.

"Unless you want to hear this one squeal like a girl again..." The leader of the slave trader spoke as they walked into the light of the room.

"Or unless you want to let this feisty one die from her head being battered in.." Cornelia was then pushed to the floor by her captor, to which she let out a groan as she landed on the hard ground, her head lolling back and forth.

The slave trader then looked from Cornelia to Lucy, Edmund and Caspian in front of them with a satisfied smirk, "I'd say you should drop your weapons."

"Like a girl?" Eustace exclaimed.

"Now!" The slave trader barked.

Lucy furiously threw her sword to the ground, Edmund and Caspian following calmly.

Cornelia immediately met first Edmund's and then Caspian's gaze. The both of them looked deeply concerned at her before they with fury glared at the slave trader and Eustace.

"This one nearly simply handed the dagger to us." The slave trader motioned to Eustace before nodding at Cornelia, "This one, on the other hand, put up quite the fight, whatever she is."

"Eustace." Edmund snarled.

"Put them in irons," the slave trader ordered. Cornelia was then pulled violently up again while her family was being chained up like her. Eustace let out a shout as the slave trader lowered the dagger and grabbed Eustace' ear instead.

"Get your hands off me!" Lucy shrilled.

"Let's take those two to the market," The slave trader said, motioning to Eustace and Lucy, "And those three into the dungeons."

"Let go!" Lucy shrilled, causing Edmund to look concernedly after his sister.

"Listen to me, you insolent fool. I am your king!" Caspian then yelled as he despite his chains fought himself forward.

Edmund then managed to push his captor away from him for a few seconds, but was then given a punch to the face.

"Ed!" Cornelia roared, feeling herself succumbing to her power. That was until she was hit in the back of the head and she very nearly collapsed with a scream if it hadn't been because her captor was holding onto her.

"Cornelia!" Caspian yelled concernedly.

"You're going to pay for that." Edmund spat.

"Actually," a new voice emerged. He looked like the real leader as he was wearing nicer clothes than the others. "Someone else is going to pay."

He then smirked at them. "For all of you."

The slave traders then began to drag them away. Cornelia's mouth opened but no sound came out. She knew it wouldn't be long before she passed out.

"No!" Lucy yelled desperately. "Edmund! Edmund!"

"Lucy!" Edmund called back.

"Cornelia!" Caspian called concernedly, gaining the teen's attention.

"Cornelia, stay awake! Stay with us!" Edmund then called from up close.

 _"Oh, yes that's right."_ Cornelia thought, rather disoriented and out of it before her eyes closed. _"We're being separated."_


	7. Chapter Six

**A/N: Yay! I think I managed to prevent not updating for a month this time. Hopefully I can keep it up, but I really hope you'll enjoy this. I, for one, had much fun writing it.**

 **Disclaimer goes for all chapters.**

 **Enjoy ;-).**

* * *

 **Goldenflower 3: The Last Return**

 **Chapter Six:**

* * *

Cornelia let out a cry as she was thrown into a dungeon with someone else already in it. She looked up and saw that the sun was rising. It was dawn. The crew of the Dawn Treader would soon set out to find them as they hadn't returned – like Caspian had ordered.

Caspian and Edmund had kept trying to talk to her as they were being led down into the dungeons, she remembered. It was a tactic to prevent Cornelia from closing her eyes, but it hadn't been without consequences. Edmund and Caspian had both been struck multiple times, and she ended up being separated from them, to huge protests from the boys who were silenced when she then had been given a beating right in front of them.

The slave trader pushing her in then looked to a dark corner behind her, spitting at the ground as he spoke, "This one gave a better fight than you, you thief scum."

The stranger then emerged from the shadows. The person's face was covered by a hood, but Cornelia could suddenly see a row of white teeth as the stranger smirked, "The fact that you enjoy hitting little girls tells a lot more about you than it does about me putting up a poorer fight than she."

The stranger, a he, was immediately struck across the face by the slave-trader, but it didn't wipe the smirk off his face. On the contrary, it only became wider. As the stranger had been struck, his hood had fallen off so she could see his face. He was someone she would qualify as handsome although her vision was blurry because of her tears and the effects of the hits to her head. Droopy, hazel eyes and short, light brown hair. His aura was mysterious and arrogant, but Cornelia still sensed a kindness to him, but it was hidden as he seemed hardened by the life he was living.

"Respect your superiors." The slave-trader growled at the man, before he with one last disgusted look at Cornelia left the cell and locked it behind him. Cornelia immediately tried to sit up but immediately collapsed again as an excruciating pain shot through her head. She gritted her teeth. It wasn't the best time to get a concussion. She noticed the stranger looking at her, but immediately ignored it as she heard clangs and calls for her name further down a dark hallway, leading away from her cell.

Cornelia recognized those voices. It was Caspian and Edmund. Their voices immediately ignited a flare inside her – a flare of need to protect her family. She tried to sit up again but immediately groaned as the pain in her head surfaced again.

"Caspian...Edmund..." Cornelia croaked as a feeling of failure and helplessness overcame her, and with it followed traitorous, slowly-falling tears.

She then heard someone hush her, followed by a gentle hand pulling her down to lie down again. Only this time, her head was elevated slightly as the stranger had placed her head on his knees. She hadn't even heard him coming. She watched him wearily through wet eyes as his blurred face filled her vision. He was gently wiping blood away from her face with a small piece of cloth – most likely from his clothes.

"Lie still." The stranger said quietly. "You'll only hurt yourself even more if you keep moving around."

Cornelia noticed that the stranger's fingers danced lightly, like a feather, across her face, her arms and legs while he seemed to assess her injuries. Then she heard it. A light, comforting rumble escaping his lips. He was humming. Cornelia nearly felt paralyzed as she watched his every movement carefully. She watched him for some time where he hadn't noticed her watching him, but after some time he did. When his eyes met hers, he smiled. Cornelia's eyes widened as his hands closed in on both sides of her face. She knew that with a simple, firm turn to the side, he could snap her neck, so her arms shot up with new-found strength and grabbed the stranger's arms in a firm grip.

Again, the stranger merely smiled at her before his lips parted, and she instantly recognized the melody he had been humming.

 _"Did you break but never mend?"*_ He sang quietly, sending Cornelia an inquiring look.

He then stopped singing, but continued to hum the same melody.

Cornelia slowly loosened her grip on the stranger's arms, slowly realizing he was trying to help her. She jumped when his hands took a gentle hold on her head on both sides again.

Cornelia then blinked as she slowly realized that the pain in her head had lessened remarkably. Like magic. Her brows furrowed at the stranger. Was he a magician?

"No!"

The stranger's humming abruptly stopped as his head in a supposedly painful manner whipped in the direction of the window and the outside where the cry from a male came from. The stranger stood up and went to stand up on a small edge in the wall, succeeding in looking out of the small hole in the wall, which had bars on the outside, making it an impossible escape way.

Cornelia groaned as she turned her head, a painful throbbing increasing by the small movement.

"What's happening?" She questioned carefully.

"Helaine!"

"Mummy!"

The teenager's heart sank. The sound of a little girl's cry for her mummy made her realize that whatever was happening out there, it had to have got something to do with the slave traders holding them, and it couldn't possibly be good.

The stranger was quiet for some time as the shouts and begging continued. Suddenly, Cornelia thought she heard a rumble, like a rumbling warning of bad weather, which she couldn't understand how was possible as the sun was shining from a clear sky.

And then the weather changed.

It was like a shadow had appeared, hiding the sun away from them. It continued to be that way for a minute or two until it suddenly vanished, but so were the cries.

The sun appeared again, and Cornelia looked to the stranger once more. It was, however, his posture that caught her attention this time. His shoulders were slumped as if he was sad and felt hopeless.

"What happened?" Cornelia asked again, slowly sitting up, ignoring the slight but more bearable throbbing in her head.

"It's a sacrifice to the mist," the stranger said with his back still turned to the teenager. "Some villagers at a time are taken by the slave traders and put out into the ocean."

"Where do they go? What mist?" Cornelia questioned. Though she hadn't seen what had happened, the cries had suddenly stopped. And being in Narnia for the third time, Cornelia knew that it was more than possible for people to vanish suddenly. It was a magical land, after all. But the question was why? And when had those slave traders taken over the Lone Islands?

"No one knows." The stranger replied and then turned around. Cornelia looked nervously up at the stranger as he continued, "The mist was first seen in the east, supposedly. There were reports of fishermen and sailors disappearing out at sea. No trace. They were just gone."

"And the slave traders?" Cornelia asked, letting the information sink in.

The stranger merely looked at her with interest, not answering right away. It was like he was studying her, reading her. And then there was that glint in his eyes that Cornelia couldn't understand, as she suddenly felt goosebumps prickle on her arms. A look of recognition.

But Cornelia swore she never had seen this man before in her life. She would have remembered due to her suspicious nature when it came to adult strangers.

The stranger met her eyes, "If they don't sell you to the slave traders, you're likely to be fed to the mist. Your friends and yourself included."

Lucy. Eustace. Edmund. Caspian.

The teenager's eyes then narrowed dangerously towards the stranger, "Who are you?"

The stranger held her gaze. "A thief."

Something red then caught her eyes. A red feather. He was the one who had helped her. The guard's words made even more sense now. He hadn't been arrested for being a thief, he had been arrested for helping her and Eustace.

"A fighting thief, then." Cornelia replied dryly, motioning to the feather with her eyes.

"You're a very observant girl." The stranger drawled, an impressed look crossing his features.

"So I've been told."

That was when it dawned on her. This man was totally misplaced. His accent was nothing like she had heard before. Was it possible that he wasn't from Narnia?

So, she gambled and took a chance, watching him warily. "You're not from here, are you?"

The stranger impressively withheld her stare, his eyes barely flickering. It was as if he had already stared death in the eyes and survived. There was certainly more to him than met the eye.

"What gave me away?" The stranger replied. Then Cornelia seemed to notice a flicker of pain crossing his face, but it was gone again in the blink of an eye.

"Your accent." Cornelia replied dryly and then listed her observations. "Too heavy and foreign to be from Narnia and Archenland and too light to be from Calormen and Telmar."

Again, the stranger watched her impressively. Cornelia almost jumped when his hand suddenly went behind his head, but she relaxed again visibly as he was simply just scratching the back of his head.

A flicker of pain was seen in his eyes yet again before he almost sheepishly and slightly confused said, "They must have hit me over the head too many times."

It was like he didn't recognize the lands she had been listing.

"Apparently." Cornelia replied suspiciously. Once again, she then felt the hairs on her arms and neck rise again as he looked at her that way again, as if he saw something he recognized.

"You're not from here either, are you?" He questioned with a curious tone. "Not really anyway."

His observations were scaring her as if he could see right through her. He was like her in that way. Good at reading people. It annoyed the teenager.

Then the stranger smirked. Actually _smirked_ at her. "You're wary of me."

His teasing nature almost sent her over the edge, a new kind of fury arising inside her. This teasing nature was something she could recognize from Andrew, and this stranger had no right, no right at all to ruin that memory of her older brother for her.

"You're a stranger. I don't even know your name." Cornelia shot back coldly.

The stranger merely reacted. "Trust is a rare virtue in the world these days."

 _"Great, now he also speaks in riddles."_ Cornelia thought sarcastically.

"So," Cornelia spoke up mockingly, "you initiate that I should simply just trust you? And then what, you're going to stab me in the back as soon as I look away?"

A look of recognition crossed the stranger's features once again before he chuckled, "You remind me of someone I know."

And then he looked at Cornelia with that glance of recognition again, which unsettled Cornelia again. The teen's mouth opened, but she bit back her remark as she heard footsteps approaching the cell next. Soon, three slave traders appeared and opened up the cell. One grabbed ahold of the stranger and another took ahold of Cornelia while the third simply seemed to be supervising. Cornelia's head throbbed, although not nearly as violently as it had been moments before. Whatever the stranger had done, it had somehow helped.

 _"Or was it all merely a part of my imagination?"_ Cornelia thought as she with a groan forcefully was marched forward. After a couple of twists and turns through the supposed-to-be-dungeons, Cornelia and the stranger were led out into the sunlight. Cornelia squinted with her eyes as the sun very nearly blinded her. Next, she found herself stumbling as the slave trader handling her hadn't cared to tell her that they were descending some steps. She was yanked painfully upwards by the slave trader. Behind her, she suddenly heard a commotion. As she was turned around, she saw that the stranger was on his knees, a slave trader hovering over him with a whip.

"What now?" The slave trader handling Cornelia asked, rather bored.

"The scum resisted, thought he had a say in how we treat people like them." The slave trader, having forced the stranger to the ground, spat at the man at his knees.

Cornelia's handler merely snorted before pushing her along again. She managed to catch the stranger glare dangerously at her handler before she was turned around.

Soon, the town middle came into view, and too came the gathering in it. A platform had been placed in front of the people. In the middle of the platform, a Narnia-decorated chair was placed, and in it sat the slave trader who seemed to be in charge. To his right sat a man and wrote something into a book, while the slave trader on his left had other slave traders and a few costly, golden objects like jugs and such.

Cornelia's eyes then flickered to the front of the platform, and the sight made her skin crawl. In front stood the slave trader, who had backhanded her, with an uncomfortable-looking Lucy in chains.

"I bid 60."

"I bid 80."

Cornelia's eyes narrowed as she and the stranger were pulled to the side just as they had descended the last step behind the platform. She could feel the power of the Goldenflower boiling inside her, but she couldn't risk it, not right now anyway, although her protectiveness of her younger cousin seemed to gain the upperhand by the minute.

"100 for the little lady!" An elderly man, clothed in red, brown and yellows clothes and with a scar running from his right eye and across the right side of his face, yelled all the while showing off his teeth with a wicked sneer.

"120!" Another man countered.

"150!"

"I'll give you 150..." Cornelia muttered angrily, her eyes glistening dangerously close to golden. She was then nudged in the side by the stranger, who warningly motioned with his head towards their handlers, who were watching her suspiciously. Cornelia pretended like nothing had happened and looked back to her cousin, trying to catch Lucy's gaze, but the Narnian queen stuck true to her title as she valiantly looked straight forward.

But the valiant stance disappeared immediately when the slave trader's voice beside her rung out, "Any more bids?"

Murmurs of triumph or disappointment erupted as the slave trader put a 'sold' sign around Lucy's neck, and Lucy's façade trembled.

"Sold!"

The sound of coins going from hand to hand sounded and Lucy was lifted off the platform, only to be placed off to the side.

"And now!" The slave trader continued, grabbing ahold of Eustace, who had been standing off to the side the entire time. Eustace was with a cry and poor resistance pushed up onto the platform, which really only was a large, squared stone.

"For this...fine specimen...who'll kick off the bidding?" The slave trader spoke.

Everyone went silent and looked a bit at each other and with disinterest at Eustace.

"Come on, now.." The slave trader smiled, "He may not look like much but he's strong."

To demonstrate, the slave trader took ahold of Eustace's right bicep and squeezed lightly.

"Yeah, he's strong, all right." A man spoke, "Smells like the rear end of a minotaur!"

 _"I have a feeling Tavros won't get along well with these men."_ Cornelia thought dryly.

Small chuckles followed until Eustace shrilled, "That is an outrageous lie! I won the school hygiene award two years running."

Laughter ensued. Cornelia sighed and rolled her eyes.

"Someone you're related to?" The stranger whispered in her ear amusedly.

"Far out," Cornelia replied before sighing, "luckily."

"Come on, someone make a bid!" The slave trader then continued.

"I'll take them off your hands." A voice spoke.

Cornelia stiffened before a power surge filled her. She'd recognize that voice everywhere. She looked up and saw some people covered in cloaks approaching the platform, led by a man covered in blue.

"I'll take them all off your hands!"

The hood was removed, revealing Drinian and Reepicheep, who had been the one speaking. Battle cries erupted as the crew revealed themselves and started attacking the slave traders and buyers.

"For Narnia!"

Seeing their captors distracted, Cornelia lifted her arms over her head before she hit her handler over the head with the hand cuffs. The stranger elegantly stepped aside as the man fell, looking amused at her before he easily sidestepped his own handler, who had woken up at the sound of his fallen comrade. The stranger easily hit the slave trader over the head, watching nonchalantly as he fell.

"Guards! Guards, move yourselves!" The lead slave trader yelled as he tried to escape the fighting.

Soon, Cornelia recognized someone she knew well, and her heart warmed knowing that he was all right.

"Tristane!" She called over the sounds of swords on swords. The boy in question immediately stopped in his tracks and turned. When he saw her, Tristane smirked and ran to her with a set of keys, unchaining her.

"Happy to see me?" he commented with a smirk.

"Don't flatter yourself." Cornelia retorted.

With an eyeroll, Tristane smiled at her, gave her the keys and took off, seeking to aid their friends.

"Charming." The stranger commented dryly with a teasing smile, causing Cornelia to roll her eyes. The man then held his still chained hands towards her. "Unchain me."

At Cornelia's disbelieving glance, the stranger reasoned. "I can fight. Please."

The teenager contemplated it for a second and looked the stranger in the eye. His gaze was genuine, and the warmth towards her in his eyes was in the end what won Cornelia over as she with a swift movement put the key in the lock, unchaining the stranger. The man swiftly rubbed his sore and swollen wrists before the two of them, side by side, found some new slave traders to take down.

"My lady!" A voice called suddenly.

Cornelia turned, only to react quickly as her twin daggers were thrown at her by Drinian.

"Thanks, Drinian!" She called, the captain merely nodding his head in response.

Turning back to the stranger, Cornelia's brows furrowed as the man with an innocent look on his face held his hand out towards one of the daggers.

"You've got to be kidding?" Cornelia snorted in disbelief.

The man's eyes hardened lightly, his brows quirking questioningly. "You want my help or not?"

Cornelia grimaced before she sighed and hesitantly handed the stranger one of her daggers before turning around, "Just don't stab me in the back."

"Of course not." The man added, "my lady."

Following the comment, Cornelia was fuming and let her frustration out on the nearest slave trader who dared attack her.

The two of them fought side by side for a while, all the while Cornelia tried to locate her friends and family. She shared smiles with the crew she crossed, but there wasn't time for anything else.

Fighting slave trader after slave trader, and guard after guard, Cornelia soon found herself in cruise control, so when the stranger suddenly yelled at her to duck, she automatically did. She heard a thud behind her and didn't have to think hard to realize that the stranger had saved her life by throwing her knife at the man who had tried to sneak up on her.

"Girl!"

With sweat boding on her forehead and with a body that ached all over, Cornelia turned and looked questioningly at the stranger, perhaps with a teeny, tiny annoyed sneer.

The man then motioned to the dagger in her hand. Cornelia stared dumbfounded at him. Hadn't he just lost one of her daggers in the fight, and now he wanted the other too?

"Really?" She asked, slightly exasperated.

The stranger fought off another opponent before he looked at Cornelia with a quirked eyebrow. "You do realize I just saved your life, right?"

Cornelia was about to retort that she never asked him to, but she bit it back as she deep down had hoped that he would look out for her instead of simply fleeing at the first chance he got. But she was not stupid, she'd never admit that to a man she barely knew.

Instead, she huffed and as she noticed more men come at them, she sighed and thought, _"Oh, to hell with all the secrecy. Let's see if the Goldenflower can put an end to this madness."_

She concentrated and she almost immediately felt that tingle in her body when she was in control of herself and the Goldenflower. She shot stream after stream of golden light at their attackers, knocking them over immediately.

She saw a slight surprised and frightened look in the stranger's eyes, but it disappeared as soon as he noticed her looking at him. Cornelia smirked and started practically dancing around while she shot down slave trader after slave trader.

She noticed the man say something towards her with a smug look on his face, but she couldn't hear it.

"What did you say?" She questioned.

"Nothing, my lady." The stranger replied promptly with a smirk.

The fighting was slowly dying down as the locals now also was helping taking down the slave traders and the turned guards. She turned and nodded with a smile at the stranger as she let her guard down as the fighting stopped. The stranger bowed his head, returning the smile.

"Cor!"

Cornelia turned abruptly at the sound of her oldest cousin's voice.

"Edmund! Lucy!" Cornelia replied happily and walked forward as she was nearly crushed by her two cousins as the three of them held each other tightly.

"Are you all right?" Edmund asked concernedly as they pulled away, a gentle hand lingering on Cornelia's shoulder as if to keep her steady.

"I am now." Cornelia replied with a smile before her eyes flickered towards the two familiar figures approaching them.

"Cornelia, thank Aslan." Caspian reached her first, enveloping her into a crushing hug. Cornelia smiled and squeezed back as a light familiar smell of sweat blended with Caspian's cologne filled her nostrils. Cornelia merely got to be released from Caspian's arms and smile at the king before Tristane brought her in for a hug as well.

"What's this? You just saw me?" Cornelia chuckled as she squeezed her best friend around his middle.

"Well," Tristane drawled as he drew back, "There wasn't time for hugging was there?"

Cornelia smiled, looking Tristane in the eyes, feeling a flutter in her stomach as she did. "I guess not."

Then the teen looked back, lifting her arm, prepared to introduce the stranger to her family, but when she turned he was nowhere to be seen. Cornelia frowned.

"Seems like Eustace is of your blood after all, to some extent." Tristane smirked.

Cornelia eyebrows quirked in an inquiring manner.

"He took down the slave trader, Puck." Caspian smirked.

"How?" Lucy questioned.

"By losing his balance in one of the boats when he tried to leave us behind." Caspian replied dryly.

Cornelia snorted, laughter bubbling inside her.

"And I'd bet he's saying that it was all premeditated?" Edmund questioned.

"He's not saying much," Tristane smirked mischievously.

"What did you tell him?" Cornelia sighed.

Tristane grinned at Caspian, who chuckled and clasped a hand onto the younger boy's shoulder. "Told him that it was indeed the British Consul he had hit, or whatever he's been babbling about all this time."

"You two are terrible." Lucy tried to scold them, trying very hard to hide a smile while Edmund and Cornelia laughed openly.

The laughter died down, but the smiles remained as Drinian walked up to them. "Lord Bern and the locals wishes for you all to participate in a victory parade, Your Majesties."

"Lord Bern?" Cornelia questioned, the name sounding familiar from Caspian's tale about his father's friends.

"Long story." Edmund told her with a smile as he walked past her as Caspian and Tristane were leaving with Drinian.

Lucy was about to join her brother when she noticed that their cousin wasn't following, but instead was staring searchingly through the masses of the local Narnians.

"What are you looking for, Cor?" Lucy questioned softly, taking her cousin's hand in hers.

"Long story as well, Lu." Cornelia replied with a sigh, turning around when she didn't find who she was looking for, "Way too long."

She was pissed. She had lost both of her twin daggers in one fight, and the alleged thief was gone.

 _~G~_

The cheers were deafening as the local Narnians surrounded the crew of the Dawn Treader on both sides as they made their way through the streets, with Caspian, Edmund, Reepicheep and Drinian in front and Cornelia, Lucy, Tristane, Eustace and the rest of the crew followed behind them.

Cornelia found herself smiling at all the children coming up to them with small, simple gifts like flowers or pretty stones while looking adoringly up at them with the widest smiles. Despite the heartwarming distractions, Cornelia still found herself scavenging the crowd for the familiar face of the stranger, but there was no luck so far.

"Your Majesty. Your Majesty!" A man suddenly emerged from the crowd, going straight for Caspian. Drinian immediately reacted and took ahold of the man, who struggled in Drinian's grip. Cornelia's eyes had transformed at the alleged threat, but deflated when she heard the man continue, "My wife was taken just this morning."

"Daddy!" A little girl, dressed in a long, pink dress and with long, brown hair, came running out of nowhere and took ahold of her father.

"It's all right, Drinian." Caspian said quickly, the captain releasing his hold on the man, letting him come close.

Caspian put a hand on the man's shoulder as the man continued, "I beg you, take me with you. "

"Gael!" A woman beside Tristane shrilled.

"I want to come." The little girl said.

"No, Gael." The man said sliding out of his daughter's grip as they kept walking, "Stay with your aunt."

"I'm a fine sailor. Been on the seas my whole life." The man continued saying to Caspian.

Caspian stopped for a second and clasped a hand on the man's shoulder and smiled. "Of course, you must."

"Thank you." The man replied as he walked Caspian and Edmund keep going.

"But, Daddy!" The little girl, Gael, cried and took ahold of her father. Cornelia's heart broke for the little girl as she and Lucy watched the man take a gentle hold of his daughter's shoulders, looking her deeply in the eyes as he lovingly asked, "Have I ever not come back?"

Cornelia blinked, a lone tear escaping her eyelids as she saw familiar flashes before her eyes and heard voices inside her head.

 _"No."_

 _"Everything will be all right, honey."_

 _"I love you, Andrew."_

"Now be good." The man told his daughter before he let go of her and walked away, the aunt immediately taking a gentle hold of her niece. Cornelia's eyes transformed, a couple more tears leaving her eyelids.

 _"I love you too, darling. Now, promise me that you'll be a good girl, eh?"_

 _"I promise."_

 _"Wars don't last forever."_

"Come on."

Cornelia blinked, noticing that the entire party had walked past her, and so had most of the people. Only Lucy stood there, a hand outstretched and a knowing, heartbroken look in her eyes as she looked at her older cousin.

The teen swallowed the sob that was lodged in her throat before she took her cousin's hand, and together they picked up the pace to reach their friends.

They were down at the harbor when an elderly man with determination walked towards Caspian with something in his hands.

"My king." He called as they rounded the corner of the path leading towards the town middle, which they had ascended when they had first got there.

"My king." The man, who Lucy identified as Lord Bern, repeated. "This was given to me by your father. I hid it safely in a cave all these years."

"That's an old Narnian sword." Edmund observed.

"It's from your Golden Age." Lord Bern affirmed with a respectful nod. "There are seven such swords, gifts from Aslan to protect Narnia. Your father entrusted them to us. Here, take it."

Lord Bern handed the old sword over to Caspian, who looked at it despite it being covered in dust and rust after years of not having been used.

"And may it protect you." Lord Bern spoke as Caspian hesitantly took the sword out of the older man's grasp. The crowd erupted into cheers, and Caspian looked to his people with a newfound determination. Cornelia smiled. She had known from the start that Caspian would become a great king, and he was showing it.

"Thank you, my lord." Caspian thanked Lord Bern. "And we shall find your lost citizens."

The crowd continued cheering as Caspian clasped Edmund on the shoulder, the two kings beginning to walk side by side until Caspian suddenly stopped again after a couple of steps. "Edmund."

The Telmarine handed the old Narnian sword to Edmund with the hilt first, clapped the younger man on the shoulder again before he with a nod continued to walk. Cornelia smiled as she noticed how Edmund's shoulders straightened and he suddenly held his head up higher as he stood and admired the sword. Eustace walked by him, looking at Edmund weirdly while Lucy and Cornelia merely smiled, knowing how much the small gesture meant to their relative.

Then something flashed and blinded Cornelia, causing her to hiss in pain. There was another flash, which Cornelia followed. She squinted her eyes by another flash at the top of one of the nearby buildings. She could just make out a hooded figure before it was gone.

"Cor?" Cornelia looked to Tristane, who was watching her curiously. "You coming?"

"Give me two minutes." Cornelia replied as she began to walk towards the nearest stairwell to the clay building.

"Are you all right?" Tristane questioned concernedly.

Cornelia's lips quirked upwards as another flash hit her. "Perfectly."

 _~G~_

"I thought you'd want these back." The stranger stood with his back turned to her as she reached the roof, but when he turned around Cornelia immediately recognized her twin daggers, which were both clean, looking newly polished.

"An honourable thief." Cornelia acknowledged with a smile as she received her daggers, immediately putting them back into her belt before looking back to the stranger. "That's a rare sight."

The stranger chortled. "I suppose it is."

"Thank you." Cornelia nodded and elaborated. "For helping me. And us."

The stranger's lips quirked upwards, the hood hiding the rest of his face, before he bowed his head. "A courtesy of an honourable person to another."

"Goodbye." Cornelia dipped her head and smiled before she slowly turned around and took a few steps away from the stranger.

"Fate is a tricky variable." Cornelia faltered in her steps.

"You never know. Maybe we'll meet again, Cornelia Sprout Pevensie."

Cornelia stiffened and in a heartbeat, she spun around with her twin daggers at the ready.

The stranger was gone.

* * *

* Lyrics: _Flares ~ The Script_


	8. Chapter Seven

**A/N: Hello all you fantastic people! Here's a brand new chapter, but I would also like to address some things that I feel is long overdue:  
Firstly, I think it's in its place to once again thank you all for the incredible support and kindness you've shown me and these stories that has formed inside my head. Your response, whether if it's a follow, a favorite, a review or even just a PM means the world to me, because it shows that there's still an interest invested in this story and in me, so please keep that up! If I have to include some statistics, the Goldenflower trilogy have up until now a total sum of 127 followers, 133 favorites and 39 reviews on here. THANK YOU SO MUCH GUYS, I'm speechless! **

**Secondly, especially with this final installment, I've come to realize just how close I've based Cornelia on some of my own life without giving you my life story. But, writing this has been some sort of short-termed therapy for me, and it really surprises me how good it feels sometimes to just write, write, write what you feel down, projected into another character. I really like that, so does my imagination (:P) - and I also firmly believe it has helped on my education - especially with my English. And it's really just a huge bonus when people actually like what you're writing - so thank you for that also.**

 **Now, without further ado, I really hope that you will enjoy this chapter just as much as I've enjoyed writing it - which has been a lot.**

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 **Goldenflower 3: The Last Return**

 **Chapter Seven:**

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The idle sound of waves softly colliding with the downside of the Dawn Treader, as well as the sounds of screeching seagulls soothed Cornelia immensely from her seat on the wooden deck, half hidden by barrels, as she absentmindedly was braiding her hair while partly listening to all the thoughts running through her head and partly was watching the people around her. The first person her eyes stopped at was Lucy, who was sitting like her, on the ground on the deck, eagerly sewing with a fond smile on her face while occasionally looking up at the crew, letting out a giggle when someone said something funny. When Cornelia looked at Lucy, she no longer recognised the petite, scared little girl with the short haircut who had, whimpering, been huddled up beside Cornelia in her bed when the Blitz hit London five years ago. The hair was longer, lighter, richer. Almost an auburn mane of a lioness when the sun's rays shone on it. Her face was no longer what you would call a baby face, her features were more profound, but she still had those rounded cheeks and the same sweet smile. What had changed immensely though was the maturity and wisdom in her eyes. Cornelia had seen first hand why her youngest cousin – her baby cousin - was now named High Queen Lucy, the Valiant in the absence of her older sister. Lucy was perhaps the bravest and purest soul Cornelia knew – in several ways. Despite Peter's, Edmund's and her own protectiveness of the youngest in their little clan, Lucy had proved herself in combat several times. And also here and now as a child again had Edmund proudly bragged about his little sister's capability in their fight against the slave traders. But Lucy was also brave in the sense that she dared to always stay true to herself and be who she was. She had shown that as early as at the age of nine, when she stood her ground against her siblings back when they doubted Narnia's existence. Cornelia was almost envious of that trait when she looked back at her own life the past five years. There would have been much less pain, regrettable mistakes and misunderstandings between herself and her cousins, had she only stayed true to herself and been braver and had faith in the people around her.

Cornelia's brows furrowed, then grimaced as she let out a slight huff. Faith. Belief.

The child still inside Cornelia wanted so badly to hold onto faith in people and the world around her. It held on, but lately the dominant side was Cornelia's older, cynical, fifteen-year-old one. The belief in Narnia was stronger than ever as it was her escape from the world she grew up in – a world that was currently suffering because of war in its fifth year – sixth if you counted Germany's invasion of Poland in 1939 that started it all – it was her second home, whom she would fiercely protect because she could. She had influence here whereas in England she had not, where she was completely helpless. She had experienced and seen too much both as a child and as an adult to ever look at the world and people again with innocent and naive eyes. She was too far gone for that. But Cornelia's own, worst enemy was herself – she knew this – because what scared her the most was that she couldn't blame the cause of these cynical thoughts on anyone else but herself. There was no dark magic left in her veins after Jadis had done a number on her. They say that what doesn't kill you makes you stronger, but it didn't say anywhere that by not dying, you would lose something of yourself in return. Which is how she felt.

Cornelia looked up at a seagull's screech and looked towards the sky. There was blue hidden behind the white and grey clouds that was currently dominating the skies, fighting to come through infinitely. Cornelia felt the same way. She was struggling so hard to push through and show that she really wasn't okay, but the facades – yes, facades in plural – she had been putting up, all the smiles she had smiled, they were stuck like a thick wall of denial slowly trapping her inside herself more and more.

 _"Well, this is depressing.."_ The teen thought to herself as she shuddered when the voice of the stranger rung through her head with the last words he had spoken to her on the top of that cliff. If she didn't think any better, she would think that she had become paranoid. And she was, to an extent. Again, she pointed it in the direction of everything they had been through.

A flash then blinded her for a second, causing her eyes to squeeze tightly together into a frown. She put her hand up in front of her eyes until the flash went away. When it did, her eyes narrowed towards the direction where the flash had come from, an irritated huff leaving her mouth. Her irritated posture deflated however when she found out that the culprit was Lord Bern's sword – and Edmund who was cleaning and polishing it. Cornelia smirked at her older cousin's current fascination, she swore Edmund hadn't let the sword out of his sight since he received it from Caspian, but the smile and the concentration on his facial features also made Cornelia's heart warm and her admiration towards Caspian had only increased because he too, like her, had seen that Edmund struggled. Cornelia had long forgiven Edmund for his attempts at enlisting as a minor – she never could stay mad for long at her family. She noticed the desperation in his eyes – the desperation of wanting to prove himself. His father, Cornelia's uncle, had left his family to go to war, then Andrew did, then their first adventure in Narnia happened – and she knew that it still bugged Edmund to this day. And now Peter, the essential man of the household, had too left them to go study for a career in medicine at Professor Kirke's mansion. That left Edmund as the man in the family now and now, where they had come back to Narnia, some of his suggestions were still brushed aside, because there still was one older royal (visually anyway) and current ruling leader in front of him; Caspian. And the latter had obviously noticed, thankfully. Despite Cornelia's, to some perhaps, peculiar close bond with Edmund, it didn't bias her when it came to knowing how much they meant to Caspian and how much he meant to them. He was another, honorary sibling to all of them, well apart from Eustace she guessed.

Her cousins' cousin was a very strange boy Cornelia just couldn't wrap her head around. She couldn't currently see him, so either he was hiding out somewhere on deck, or either he was hiding out somewhere beneath deck – both scenarios had one material thing in common; Eustace Scrubb's beloved notebook. Whenever Cornelia seemed to catch sight of him, he was nearly always writing in that thing.

Cornelia's head then shot up at Tavros' amused laughter from one of the standings near Cornelia.

"He's talking to birds!" The minotaur laughed wholeheartedly before a crew member chimed in, chuckling while giving Tavros' chest a light slap, "He's mad as a loon, that one."

Cornelia then let out a giggle. Found him. Her giggle proceeded to a chuckle when Tavros in continued amusement landed a rather forceful but friendly slap to the crew member's back, causing the crew member to crumble and nearly tumble over the railing with a grunt. Cornelia still couldn't see Eustace, but a small part of her couldn't help but almost pity him. The crew of the Dawn Treader had from the first day loved to laugh at the boy, who seemingly was related to the nobility of the Old Narnia, but was so far from it in personality. Almost.

Cornelia still hadn't quite forgiven him for calling her an only child.

The fifteen-year-old finished braiding her hair a few minutes later, just to have a familiar pair of boots stop in front of her, "So this is where you've been hiding."

Cornelia looked up to see the tall and lean figure of Tristane stand above her, a playful, boyish smirk playing on his lips. See, he was another peculiar case that Cornelia couldn't wrap her head around these days. Three years had gone by, so there would undoubtedly be changes about the both of them, but Tristane was just..peculiar. Besides from the obvious and visual changes like the sixteen-year-old being taller and his voice deeper, there was his mood swings which really sent Cornelia reeling, a most recent example of the evening before still burning fresh in her mind.

"Do you mind?"

 _"Not at all." She had answered the previous evening where she had been standing at the railing on the dexk, looking at the Narnian night sky, when Tristane had found and joined her in her stargazing._

 _"Can't sleep?" She had asked softly, tearing her gaze away from gazing at stars to look upon the boy, who had become one of her best friends in a short amount of time during their last time in Narnia. Best friends. She smiled fondly – it had been one of those immediate friendships that seems so very unrealistic in fiction, but she didn't doubt that the friendship they had together was real._

 _"You've changed."_

 _Cornelia's eyebrows furrowed. That was a funny way to start a conversation._

 _"So...have you?" Cornelia's statement came out more as a question. "It's been three years. We ought to change."_

 _"Does that mean that you don't feel it?" Cornelia frowned at the sound of slight exasperation in Tristane's voice. She wasn't used to that, especially not towards her and especially not in a serious situation._

 _"Feel what?" She voiced innocently, truly clueless about what he meant. Or was she?_

 _She couldn't help but think back to her actions when Tristane had made his dramatic presence known to them after Caspian had fished them out of the water. The way her face had lit up into an anticipating smile, the way her heart had swelled and hopped when Tristane had sent his trademark smirk at her. Wait, what was even that? Cornelia deeply frowned. Was this her teenage hormones second-guessing herself or blowing everything out of proportation – or both? In Cornelia's eyes, nothing seemed to have changed between them except that they had both become older, and Tristane had obviously some mood swings that she didn't know yet how to handle._

 _Tristane grunted in response, the impatient drumming of his fingers not going unnoticed by Cornelia, who looked from her friend's fingers to his much more shapened facial features. "Something wrong, Tristane? What did Caspian mean by what happened the last time?"_

 _Her friend scoffed, grimacing. "Nothing at all. What would there be wrong? I'm going back to bed."_

 _Cornelia didn't get to object before Tristane had turned abruptly and with a rather noisy stumping around went below deck, slamming with the hatch, the sound echoing in Cornelia's head as she flinched. Cornelia frowned, unsuspecting of Tristane's behavior and unsure as to what to do with herself as she turned back to look at the stars, a sad sigh reluctantly escaping her lips._

"Listen." Cornelia was brought out of the flashback abruptly at Tristane's voice beside her, situated on a barrel to her left. The teen looked sheepish, almost apologetic as he with his left hand was scratching himself at the neck. "I'm sorry about last night. I don't know what came over me. I'm just sorry, I guess."

Cornelia bit her lip as she felt pity towards her friend. Perhaps she was too forgiving after all.

"It's okay." She said softly, shrugging. "Shouldn't have pushed you, I guess."

Tristane blinked for an estimated time of about five seconds before his mouth opened, about to say something when his gaze wandered, his eyes darkening when his gaze fell upon Eustace who snuck away through the door that among other things led to the kitchens. The young guy had noticed a lack of several things since Eustace had arrived on the Dawn Treader with his friends.

"Tristane?"

The boy's gaze snapped to Cornelia who smiled softly at him.

"What? I'm sorry, I just zoned out." His excuse was not uttered with much confidence, instead with a lot of stuttering.

Cornelia smirked, getting herself off the floor, sending him a teasing glare. "Sure you were."

Cornelia walked out from the barrels, Tristane following with a smirk. That smirk however faded as soon as Eustace came tumbling out from one of the cabins with a long knife in his hand, not looking in front of him, causing him to run straight into Tavros, a couple of others and finally Cornelia, sending her tumbling into Tristane who caught her but not before she collided with his chest and she let out a hiss of pain. Tristane stabilized Cornelia's stance before looking down at a rip in her trousers, anger rising inside him faster than it had ever done before, "Watch where you're going your..."

"Trying to run away?" Reepicheep's stern yet taunting voice shouted after the boy as the mouse passed them in an obvious pursuit of the despicable boy.

"What has he done now?" Cornelia sighed before looking towards the mouse and the boy. A ghost of a smile, however, came across her face at seeing Reepicheep so easily toying with Eustace.

"Are you all right?" Tristane asked concernedly.

Cornelia looked up at him swiftly, a pained smile crossing her features before she motioned to the commotion a little bit in front of them. "I am now."

Tristane huffed, a satisfactory smile lighting his face up at seeing Reep force Eustace to fight him by jabbing at his stomach causing the boy to shrink away each time, "That was for stealing, that was for lying."

Tristane's suspicions turned out to be right as Reepicheep with a jab with his small sword pulled an orange out of the boy's overalls. And Tristane out loud laughed when the mouse proceeded to slap Eustace with the orange, "And _that_ was for good measure."

The mouse then laughed as Eustace finally began jabbing away at him, and failing miserably, "That's the spirit! We have ourselves a duel. Catch."

Drinian caught the orange easily, a smirk evident on his else stoic face, Cornelia's shoulders shook as she tried to contain her laughter while Tristane didn't even try. The crew gathered around here and there with amused smiles and gleeful eyes all around.

Cornelia held a hand up to her mouth as she couldn't keep the laughter in anymore from seeing Reepicheep humiliating Eustace so comically, so without thinking she turned around and buried her face in Tristane's chest, her shoulders continuing to shake. Tristane draped, with a warm smile and a gleeful glint in his eyes, an arm around Cornelia's figure, resting his chin on the top of her head.

"Stop flapping your wings like a drunken pelican! Poise!" Reepicheep's frustrated voice rung out. The comment caused Cornelia to laugh out loud, although it was muffled because of Tristane's chest, the laughter moreover almost made her knees buckle, but Tristane held her up, his laughter rumbling deep down into his chest so Cornelia could not just hear it but feel it as well.

The crew's laughter was deafening whenever Eustace missed terribly Cornelia noticed when she finally had gotten over most of her flip and instead watched with amusement how quickly Reepicheep had turned a punishment into a sword-fight lesson.

"Now, lunge with your foot! Not, your left, your right." The mouse chatised the boy, who was red-faced and desperately tried to keep up with the mouse.

"That's right, that's right –oohh, oh no!" Suddenly, Reepicheep seemed to lose his balance on the railing at Eustace' jabs, falling overboard. Cornelia's heart sank for a second until she noticed the sneaky mouse emerge from the floor, sneaking up on Eustace on his right by his head. Reepicheep then tipped Eustace on his left shoulder with his tail, of course causing Eustace to turn around confusedly whereas Reepicheep took a swing and kicked Eustace in the back, immediately causing Eustace to lose his balance and knock over a barrel which Cornelia found to be oddly out of place, "And that...is that."

And then a scream that of a small girl sounded shortly and only Tristane, Cornelia and Lucy, who had watched it all as well, seemed to notice whereas the rest of the crew clapped at Reepicheep's display. Lucy approached the knocked over barrel hesitantly.

As the crew clapped, Cornelia frowned sadly when she saw the little girl, who's father Rhince had become a crewmember on the Dawn Treader, crawl timidly out of the barrel. She stopped her crawling at Lucy's feet and looked frightened up at the young girl. The teen frowned because she didn't think that this place was a place for a little girl, because of the dangers they could end up facing but also because there was nearly no escape from here. And Cornelia didn't want to see yet another little girl grow up before her time.

"Look." Lucy's slightly shocked voice made the crew's laughter die down, the crew instead approaching to see what was going on. Cornelia was about to intervene, unease settling in her stomach of having to be the stern adviser, but Rhince beat her to it, "Gael?"

Rhince moved forward towards his daughter. "What are you doing here?"

For a few seconds everyone just watched and for once, all eyes were not on Eustace who was still on his knees from his fight with Reepicheep.

"Here." Rhince closed the distance between him and Gael as he pulled her in for a hug. Cornelia watched the reactions of several crew members on the ship, and the sight settled the unease in her stomach slightly. They were smiling at the sight. But then Cornelia's eyes flickered towards Drinian as he approached the father and daughter with the orange still in his hand. Cornelia and her siblings definitely had a say and wielded some authority, but Drinian was the captain of the ship and he was the one deciding what was going to happen to Gael. Tristane put a hand on Cornelia's shoulder, squeezing it slightly.

Rhince watched his captain approach warily, not able to read the expression on Drinian's face. Gael stood as close to her father as she could and almost hid behind him when Drinian approached.

"Looks like we have an extra crew member." Drinian spoke softly before handing the orange to Gael with a small smile, Rhince smiling in relief.

The exchange made Cornelia smile, and she felt guilty that she was feeling hesitant towards having Gael with them.

 _"It would be another one to protect."_ Her pessimistic side of her mind told her.

Lucy then approached Rhince and Gael, a soft smile on her face and her hands on her hips. "Welcome aboard."

"Your Majesty." Gael curtsied.

"Call me Lucy." Lucy replied with a smile. "Come on."

 _"It's not your job to protect everyone, Cor."_ Peter's voice from an earlier occasion echoed in her mind as she softly watched Lucy take the younger girl under her wings – it reminded her of herself and Lucy when they were younger.

 _"Oh, yes it is."_ She sighed inwardly.

"Come on, look lively!" A crew member then announced. "Let's get back to work."

"Shouldn't you go with them?" Tristane asked behind her as the rest of the crew went about their business once again, the excitement and revelations easily put into the back of their heads for later.

Cornelia looked to the door to the cabins where Lucy had disappeared to with Gael.

"No," she replied softly, suddenly feeling older than she really was. "I believe Lucy's got this one."

 _ **~G~**_

At sundown, another island was in front of them and Cornelia was summoned to join Caspian, Edmund and Drinian at the helm to discuss whether to stay the night at the island.

Cornelia stood beside Edmund as Caspian was looking into a binocular.

"It looks uninhabited," Caspian declared softly, "But if the lords followed the mist east, they would have stopped here."

"Could be a trap." Drinian offered.

Cornelia agreed.

"Or it could hold some answers." Edmund spoke.

The teen couldn't help but agree with that also.

"At least let us wait until morning to explore," Cornelia offered. "I'd rather not repeat the events on the Lone Islands despite its success in the end."

"Caspian?" Edmund questioned.

Caspian removed the binocular from his eye, handing it over to Drinian. "We'll spend the night on shore. Scour the island in the morning."

"Aye, Your Majesty." Drinian replied.

As Caspian stepped down, he sent a smile and nod towards the Pevensies, happy with their inputs.

They holed anchor at the opening of the bay and rowed the rest of the way towards the small beach, just in time for the sun to set completely, leaving a beautiful purple color reflecting in the water and the sky.

They had started a fire and had eaten and socialized for a couple of hours when the first started to settle down to sleep.

Cornelia sat a bit away from the fire, letting the sand run through her fingers. It calmed her and made her think of happy days on holiday in Southampton with her parents and brother.

A shiver ran through her then.

"Are you cold?"

Tristane's voice made her jump. She hadn't heard him coming at all. It was a very select few people who could manage to sneak up on her without her noticing.

"I'm fine." Cornelia replied, and then ironically she shivered again. She hadn't noticed that the air had grown colder until now.

"Funny," Tristane snorted before he draped something warm, a blanket, over her shoulders, "I almost forgot how stubborn you were."

Then the teenager sat down close to Cornelia so that they could share some body heat off each other.

"Can't sleep?" Tristane questioned, an edge of concern evident in his voice.

"Probably, I haven't tried." Cornelia shrugged, "I wanted to see the sun go down."

"That special?" Tristane then asked playfully, nudging his best friend lightly.

Cornelia's lips curled upwards fondly, "Reminds me of old times, and of home and Andrew. We were at a beach house once with some family friends, and Andrew and I snuck out to watch the sun go down. He told me that we'd never be apart, at least not for long."

Tristane's mouth opened, but he didn't answer right away as he let all the information sink in.

"How long has it been?" He then asked quietly.

Cornelia sighed, not quite believing what she was about to utter, "Almost five years."

 _Five years._

"If he's anything like you, he'll be all right." Tristane stated, trying to sound chipper.

Cornelia's heart sank at her best friend's words and her heart began beating rapidly against her ribcage as she put her head on Tristane's shoulder and spoke the treacherous words she hadn't dared to say to anyone – least of all her parents or her cousins - but which she had been thinking a lot and which she now entrusted to Tristane.

"I-I know it's an awful thing to say." Cornelia's voice was low, timid and the hope completely vanished from her voice, "but I'm honestly not so sure anymore."

She heard Tristane's sharp intake of breath and she knew; he hadn't thought that he'd ever hear that from her either. Another few seconds went by where Tristane still didn't react, which scared Cornelia endlessly. But then he wrapped an arm around her, and Cornelia let herself sack against his lean body and let the grief and guilt overwhelm her inside.

Near the bonfire, Edmund and Caspian sat and had watched the two teenagers' entire exchange without having been able to hear what was being said. Edmund glared holes in Tristane's back, his eyes narrowing, following Tristane's arm up until it rested appropriately around Cornelia's shoulder.

"Why does this sight unsettle me slightly?" Edmund questioned Caspian without his eyes ever leaving the two figures with their backs turned on them ways in front of him.

"Because you're protective of her?" Caspian chuckled.

Edmund sighed, "She's grown so much the last couple of years. Lucy as well."

"I see that, and I can't quite believe it myself – three years ago they were only little girls, but the fact remains; they're slowly becoming not beautiful girls, but beautiful women. You can't change that, and you can especially not hide the girls from all the boys forever, Ed, no matter how much I wish we could." Caspian replied softly, keeping his protectiveness over the two girls hidden a bit better than Edmund. Because, Caspian was protective over those girls – a fact which Tristane had come to know pretty quickly. Edmund scoffed, "You wouldn't take it so lightly if you'd seen the way some of the blokes back home looks at especially Cornelia. Either she doesn't notice or she doesn't care, I don't know."

Anger rose and flared inside Caspian on Cornelia's behalf, but he held it in. "But you care."

"Of course I do!" Edmund exclaimed in a hushed snappy voice, "She's my youngest cousin, she's too young for those blokes."

Caspian tried very hard not to chuckle at the Just King's words, "Ed, you do realize that she's only two years younger than you, right?"

Edmund sent Caspian a good natured glare before he huffed, "Doesn't matter."

Then the teen motioned to his cousin and friend in front of them. "I still don't like this."

Caspian sighed, "For what it's worth, he's a good guy..."

"But?" Edmund questioned, seeing the flick of conflict on Caspian's face.

Caspian bit his lip and looked at the two teens in front of them before turning to Edmund again, shrugging, "Don't know. Guess you're rubbing off on me after all, huh?"

Caspian's voice was humorous, trying to lighten Edmund's mood, but when he saw that his honorary brother had returned to resolve to glare daggers at particularly Tristane – his comment completely rubbing off on Edmund, the Narnian king sighed, "I'll keep an eye on them. Get some sleep."

Edmund stared ahead for a few more seconds before he muttered something indistinguishable under his breath before he stood up and walked towards his sleeping mat a little across from Lucy, who was already asleep with Gael by her side.

"Ed." Caspian called quietly.

When the teen turned to look at him in a questioning manner, Caspian's lips curled upwards into a small smile but his voice was firm, "It's an order."

Edmund's eyes darkened lightly and Caspian feared he had pushed Edmund over the edge for one night, but when Edmund merely nodded and proceeded to lay down, Caspian figured that everything was all right. He knew that Edmund didn't always – or rather never – did well with taking orders from people, it still fascinated Caspian how balanced Edmund was still on that matter. And his reputation as the Just King of Narnia also spoke in good favor of that; he was a good listener, good to give orders and sometimes, mostly he'd listen to orders.

Once he had made sure that Edmund had settled down, Caspian arose from his seat and approached the two teenagers, who was overlooking the bay where the Dawn Treader still could be seen in the far end.

"All right," Caspian spoke up before he was fully up close to the teens so he wouldn't unnecessarily scare them. His plan had the desired effect as Tristane withdrew his arm around Cornelia, and Caspian was met with respectively a pair of warm brown and sky blue orbs, "Lights out. We have an early start in the morning."

Surprisingly, Tristane almost immediately nodded and stood up and looked apologetically at Caspian. So, the boy knew that taking his frustrations out on him and Cornelia wouldn't do anyone any good. That was progress.

"All right." Tristane said before smiling at Caspian and Cornelia, "Good night, Caspian, Cor."

Caspian nodded at the boy and Cornelia called after him as he retreated away from them, "Good night, Tristane."

Caspian followed Tristane with his eyes and made sure that the teenage boy was turned away from them before the Narnian king took the now vacated seat beside Cornelia.

The girl sent him a confused glance, "I thought you said.."

"I did." Caspian interrupted her, "How are you?"

Cornelia let out a half-whine, "What's with the questioning?"

Caspian's lips curled upwards at her almost child-ish tone, "It's just...we haven't talked that much. I wanted to know if my favorite Goldenflower is all right."

Cornelia let out a giggle, which made Caspian's heart warm, but the teen sent him a pointed look as if he was silly, "Caspian, I am the only Goldenflower you know."

"That's why you're my favorite." Caspian smirked at her and nudged her playfully.

Cornelia smiled, but the smile didn't reach her eyes like it used to.

Caspian nudged her again, but this time his face was wrinkled with concern, "All right. Spill."

Cornelia sighed. She didn't know why, but Caspian could read her like an open book, and she would always just burst out the truth. He had some kind of super power, she reckoned.

"Two things." Cornelia sighed.

Caspian hummed, "I'm listening."

The teen sighed again, repeating herself from an earlier conversation between them. "He hasn't come home."

"But he will." Caspian replied confidently.

Cornelia looked up, yes up, at Caspian. "What makes you so sure?"

Caspian shrugged, "I can feel it."

She nearly scoffed but felt guilty doing it, "I think we're at the stage where it takes a little more than feelings or wishful thinking. It's been almost five years."

"Cor." Caspian was shocked and it also reflected that in his voice, but when he felt her stiffen up beside him, he sighed and continued softly, "If he's anything at all like the way you've described him and you're his sister, then he will be all right and come home to you. But right now, the most important thing you can do is believe that he will come home, although it's hard. You've been waiting and believing in him for five years, don't stop believing in him now."

Feeling Cornelia suddenly tremble beside him, Caspian immediately pulled her into his side with ease, resting his head on top of hers.

"It's just so hard." Cornelia's voice quivered.

Caspian sank once, his apple bobbing as he fought with his own emotions at his friend's anguish and troubles.

"I know." He told her while holding her close, but he knew that he didn't know. He could only imagine.

"Why is Tristane so odd?" Cornelia suddenly quipped before she sniffed her nose wetly from crying.

Caspian chuckled deeply, "You mean in general or..."

Cornelia hit him lightly in the chest, her lips curling upwards at the attempt of a joke, "Last night."

He looked away as he didn't want her to see his smile fade, but he should have known that she would ask about it. She had already, but he had rejected her because they for him luckily had been in a dire situation. But he couldn't use that now.

Caspian sighed, "Do you remember what I told you last night?"

Cornelia nodded, "Yes. You said..."

 _"Don't mind him." Caspian's voice had made her jump. Not because it was loud but because she hadn't heard him coming, nor expected him. After Tristane angrily had left her standing there, she hadn't suspected anyone else to be up at that hour._

 _"It's not your fault." Caspian soothed as he came to a stop beside her at the railing. "It's mine."_

 _Cornelia frowned at the statement but didn't voice her concern. "I thought you were sleeping."_

 _Caspian shrugged while motioning to the doors behind them, "I woke when he started slamming doors. I sleep very lightly these days."_

 _"Why?" Cornelia asked concernedly._

 _Caspian sighed before he softly started speaking, "I'm king now. The people's problems are my problems. Trumpkin is magnificent at taking the brunt of it and help me along, but I need to learn how to do it. To sit through it all with patience and grace. And as for Tristane, well...I think I'm expecting too much of him. He's still just a child and he's going through a rough transformation these years. But he's missed you a lot through it all."_

 _"I've missed him too?" Cornelia frowned._

 _"I know, " Caspian smiled. "And he knows that too. But he's just been...off for a while, like he's on his own quest to figure something out, and that has sometimes meant clashing with me."_

 _"Over what?"_

 _Caspian looked away, an airily laugh leaving his mouth, "I honestly don't know or can't remember anymore."_

That was the first lie he had ever told her.

"Caspian?" Cornelia questioned, causing him to look into her eyes.

"Yes?" He inquired.

"You wouldn't keep something from me, would you?"

Caspian's heart nearly stopped, and guilt began filling up inside him.

 _"Not on purpose,"_ he thought.

"Of course not." He answered with what he hoped was a trusting and convincing smile.

He swore to himself that he only lied to protect them both. He knew what was wrong with Tristane, he could see it. Tristane was confused and frustrated because of the hormones inside him, acting up and making him see and feel things for other people, especially girls, that up until now was either short-lived and barely had been there at all. Tristane was charming, but he wasn't a heartbreaker – he wasn't that kind of person and Caspian knew it frustrated his charge deeply that he couldn't control it. But that didn't mean that Caspian had forgotten the phase Tristane suddenly had gone through and what he had done during that phase – a phase that had forced Caspian to become more of a parent than a brother to the younger boy, a part that hadn't suited either of them. Caspian didn't know if it was Tristane's temper or actions that had fueled Caspian to be more protective of Cornelia or not, but he dearly hoped that the two of them would figure it out before something happened that could tear all of them apart.

"Just..." Caspian finally said. "Give it some time. He'll come around."

 _"He better."_ He thought.

 _ **~G~**_

The bonfire had slowly fizzled out and it was only the stars and the moon that lit up the sky. The waves hit the beach in soothing motions as King Caspian sat and hovered over the Goldenflower. He had told her the truth when he had said that he slept very lightly these days. Some days he doubted he even slept at all.

His gaze swept over his crew, his friends, his family. Tristane, Edmund, Lucy, Cornelia. His eyes stopped at the blonde-haired teenager. Cornelia was in any sense and way, besides the biological, his little sister. And it hurt him deeply to know that she was still hurting so much still, after everything she had been through already. He'd protect her fiercely until his dying breath, and he knew that she would do the same for him. She would do that for everyone she held dear or was a part of the Narnian people or their allies. She gave so much and took so little for herself. Sometimes he wondered when she would reach her breaking point. But he guessed that he had seen some of that, heard some of that tonight.

Caspian blinked. And then he did it again. And again. He frowned and then rubbed his eyes. He had to be really, really tired since he was seeing things. Narnia was a magical land, but the sight before him was almost absurd.

Above Cornelia, a golden line was floating. It was a thick line, almost like the width the fabric to a bow had, and it was waving in the wind. Then a crack in the line formed and Caspian felt a light pain in his chest. He clutched his hand against his chest and looked down. When he looked up again, he did a double take. The line was slowly fading away. He had read about this phenomenom, but he never actually thought that he would experience it. He had doubted whether their connection had been strong enough.

The King then looked at Cornelia's peaceful face worriedly. He could make out something stirring beneath her eyelids as they were fluttering wildly.

And then Edmund's words hit him in a whole other way, in a whole other context, but it hit him hard and it felt like all the air in his body had left him after having been punched.

She was growing up. Way too fast.


	9. Chapter Eight

Hey all you lovely people! I hope some of you are still with me after this godawful long wait. I'm really sorry about that. But among other things, the heat happened, leaving me in no condition to concentrate whatsoever on writing. And then this past week I've come home exhausted Monday-through-Friday after having been a coach on a handball school. And then this thing also happened: I got admitted to university! Yep, I start August 30th, and I've beyond excited and beyond nervous for what's to come, so a little time has also passed with figuring some things out related to uni-life. I officially declare myself an adult now. Yes.

I've got eight chapters plus an epilogue planned left for this story, so we're around half way through by now. I hope you'll enjoy this one! :)

Disclaimer goes for all chapters.

Enjoy ;-).

* * *

 **Goldenflower 3: The Last Return**

 **Chapter Eight**

* * *

 _"Cornelia.."_

Cornelia frowned in her sleep and kept twisting and turning as she thought she heard Aslan's voice, "Aslan?"

 _"You have to choose, my child."_

The fifteen-year-old's head jerked to the side as Aslan continued speaking inside her head. His words confused her. She had to choose what? And between what?

"Wha-."

"Cornelia!" A hushed whisper sounded and Cornelia frowned again, because this time, the voice wasn't inside her head.

"Cornelia, wake up!" This time, Cornelia recognized Caspian's voice and she also guessed that it was also Caspian shaking her awake. Cornelia abruptly opened her weary and tired eyes and sat up so fast that the world was spinning around her for a second.

"What?" Cornelia slurred as she rubbed the sleep from her eyes. But when her gaze locked with Caspian's, his solemn look made her stomach twist uncomfortably.

"Lucy's gone." Caspian said.

Cornelia's eyes widened and as her eyes automatically narrowed towards the spot where Lucy had been sleeping next to Gael, and when she found that Lucy's spot was vacated and Rhince was comforting his crying daughter, Cornelia's eyes found their way back to Caspian, she found her heartbeat increase painfully.

"Look. The footprint."

Cornelia followed Caspian's eyesight and exactly where he looked, Cornelia too saw one large footprint next to where Lucy had been sleeping. In fact, she noticed several of them around camp. She looked down and to her side. Including one next to where she had been sleeping.

She shuddered.

"Get up you idiots! Queen Lucy's missing!" Drinian yelled.

That was when Cornelia noticed that the camp was chaos as dawn was upon them and the sun was beginning to shine through. Everyone was running around frantically while gathering their things and getting their weapons ready.

"Cor!"

Edmund came running towards them, his face looking ashened as he without hesitation wrapped his cousin into a tight hug.

"I'm so glad you're okay." He said quietly.

"It's my fault. I shouldn't have been sleeping so heavily." It was as if a burden had lifted from her shoulders by getting it off her chest. Edmund just pulled her out in his arm's length, looking at her incredously, but before he could say anything Tristane came running up to them with Caspian, Edmund and Cornelia's gear in his hands. He handed Caspian and Edmund their weapons first, and as he handed Cornelia hers, he looked her dead in the eye and said, "I'm only going to say this once. It's not your fault."

"This way!" Caspian commanded, not letting any more words being said between the two teenagers as he and Edmund led the way.

"We're coming, Lu. Hang on." Cornelia whispered under her breath as her emotions got the better of her. Gone was Cornelia Pevensie – instead, in Cornelia's body, had the Goldenflower emerged, her golden eyes shining dangerously.

| _ **G|**_

Lucy felt many things as she cautiously walked through the halls of the so-called 'oppressor' as the invisible creatures or very large persons, who had taken her, expressed it. She was frightened, who wouldn't? She had and would always try to see the best in people, but these – whatever they were – had threatened not only her on her life, but also her family and friends.

 _"Edmund must be worried."_ She thought as she wondered if any in the company had even woken up yet. Walking silently around in this dark and sullen mansion had done something to her, because she couldn't remember how long she had been walking around, trying to find this so-called 'Book of Incantations'.

Lucy normally loved adventures; it gave her a sense of independence and maturity, but she had to admit right now, she would have done whatever to have at least Cornelia with her.

Her older cousin always seemed to know what to say, and she was brave. Cornelia was a role model to Lucy, always had been – Susan was too – but Cornelia seemed more relatable, maybe because they were also closer in age than Lucy's older sister. But as Lucy grew older, she refused to admit it, ashamed of herself, but she had also begun to grow envious of the way boys had begun to look at Susan and Cornelia when they walked in the streets or at school. She was jealous of Cornelia and Tristane's special friendship, jealous of in how high regard Caspian held Cornelia, and maybe worst of all, she felt this pit in her stomach when she thought of the bond Edmund and Cornelia shared. Lucy was so ashamed of her malicious thoughts that she blushed. This was so unlike her, and she honestly didn't know where those thoughts came from.

What she didn't notice was the faint green blur of mist, following her along the bottom of the walls before it faded away completely again.

Lucy was getting tired of walking around this mansion, all the time having to be on her toes and fear that 'the oppressor' could appear out of the shadows at any time, when she least expected it. The creatures could have been a little bit more specific as to where this book with the spell they sought was located.

And to be quite honest, she wasn't very fond of being alone with her thoughts anymore. Sometimes, it could be quite nice to be alone with one's own thoughts, especially when you, as Lucy, had three older siblings who each seemed to know what was best for you, at least when she was younger. But sometimes, your thoughts also revealed the darker side of you that you kept hidden and maybe not even realized you had. And in Lucy's case, it was the latter side that revealed itself now.

Lucy rounded another corner, only for her to falter in her steps. There, a little way in front of her were a couple of double doors opened slightly ajar so you could just manage to see a single, fancy wooden bookstand with a single book on it. The hallway was only dimly lit up in the ceiling, so Lucy had to squint her eyes until she got used to the lighting.

With cautious steps, the teen approached the room with more light ahead of her, the sound of her bootsteps echoing dangerously loud on the hardened floor that wasn't only wood. It was too shimmering for that.

When Lucy entered the room, she realized she was standing in a library where bookshelves after bookshelves were filled, nearly overstocked, with books around her. Cornelia and particularly Susan would have loved it here. They were both so well-read in both fiction and non-fiction. Something which Lucy hadn't always been strong in.

Although the library contained more light than the hallway, it was still dimly lit, causing Lucy to jump when shadows danced across the walls, cautiously listening for other sounds other than her own hollow footsteps. Then she found herself being drawn to a stand with a single book on it in the middle of the room. She knew magic could work that way, and she didn't really fear it. She feared being caught off guard and she was slightly anxious about this oppressor.

As Lucy looked upon the cover of the book, she thought that what she saw was letters, but it was all mumble-jumble. She noticed the lock on the side of the book and gently grabbed ahold of it. But it was stuck, and it wouldn't budge. Then she noticed a flicker of movement in the top corner on the right where Lucy with furrowed brows noticed the figurine that blew off what looked like dust.

Lucy had always been a believer and had always been good at imagining things, so she decided to do what she thought the figurine tried to show her. She inhaled deeply and then put all of her air into a single blow, which she unleashed onto the frontside of the book. Like with the figurine, dust blew off the book, but what made Lucy smile and convinced her that this was a very special book, was when the letters started moving.

Lucy let out a small sigh of relief once the letters had stopped moving and it now said _The Book of Incantations._ She had found what she had been sent to find, now she just needed to find the specific spell the creatures wanted so that she could get out of the Oppressor's mansion.

With a satisfied smile, Lucy opened the lock on the book with no hiccups this time and she slowly started flipping through the pages. It was the oddest book Lucy had ever seen, it contained all sorts of spells from how to get rid of a toothache, a remembrance spell and a forgetting spell.

Lucy stiffened softly in her tracks as she turned the pages one more time before her face broke out into a smile. She really missed snow. It reminded her of the few fond times during Jadis' reign during their first trip to Narnia.

"With these words your tongue will sew," Lucy started reading, "for all around there to be snow."

A couple of seconds went by where nothing happened when all of a sudden a single white snowflake landed on the blank side of the page. Lucy gasped as it melted, but when she suddenly felt something cold graze her head, she looked up and her face lit up into a wide smile. Snow had started to softly descend from the ceiling and had already left a small layer of snow around Lucy. To her, looking up at the ceiling with the snow falling down around her and upon her, it was like being a little girl again, building snowmen and having snowball fights with her siblings and their cousins. Before the war happened.

Lucy was brought out of her little daydream when she noticed that the book was about to be buried beneath the snow. So Lucy inhaled once more and released the breath she had been holding in once again. But this time as the snow was removed, she became startled and stepped back as the pages started flipping violently through the book by itself. After a few seconds, Lucy came to her senses and reacted by promptly putting a hand onto a random page, which caused the pages to stop flipping immediately.

Startled by eerie, overlapping voices that were whispering indistinctively, Lucy turned around and let her eyes search the room warily. Finding no immediate danger and when the whispers stopped, Lucy turned around towards the book again. It gibbed inside her when she saw what the page contained. Then she felt an unusual tug at her heart strings. She had finally found an answer to all her heartaches as of late. She had always been seen as Susan's younger sister, always having been overlooked by everyone around whenever she had been out with Susan. Lucy loved Susan with all her heart, having more fond and funny memories with her sister that outweighed the bad. But she couldn't help this feeling of jealousy washing over her, the feeling of being put aside, especially after their parents only had brought Susan along with them to America. She had always admired Susan and her beauty and been jealous of all the attention she got. These were thoughts Lucy was very much ashamed of to admit, because she knew deep inside that they were wrong. These thoughts had now also begun to involve Cornelia too.

Before Lucy got around to think and react, an overwhelming feeling of jealousy and curiosity filled her and before she knew it, her lips had parted and she read aloud, "An infallible spell to make you she, the beauty you've always wanted to be."

Almost immediately, Lucy caught movement out of the corner of her eyes and with an almost hungry-filled look in her eyes, she watched as the illustration of a lady looking at her in a mirror began to change and fade until Lucy saw herself in the mirror. But as she blinked, her facial features changed in the mirror. The transformation continued until Lucy wasn't looking at herself anymore. Instead she was looking at Susan.

Lucy suddenly found herself smiling, happy to see her sister again, all the dark thoughts forgotten, "Susan, what's going.."

Lucy's voice and smile faltered as the image of Susan seemed to mime along to every word she said. "...on?"

That was when a strange sensation began to bubble inside her as she gently brought a hand up to carress her own cheek, the image in the mirrior in the book doing the exact same thing. That was when she realized; she looked just like Susan.

"I'm beautiful." Lucy spoke in disbelief as a warmth filled her heart.

Determined, Lucy turned around and walked determinedly towards one of the glass cabinets to see her own reflection, to see if it was really true. But she ended up extremely disappointed when she was met with her own reflection staring grimly and disappointedly back at her.

She returned to the book, once again finding the image of Susan and her movements staring back at her, until the image suddenly started disappearing into the illustration of the lady again.

"No! Wait." Lucy protested in a voice she almost didn't recognize herself in, placing her hand firmly on the illustration. Then she looked up above the illustration and saw more text written in gold letters.

Another jolt of jealousy and determination rushed through Lucy as she adamantly almost ordered the page, "Make me she, whom I'd agree..."

Then Cornelia entered her mind along with Susan. Cornelia had always been everybody's favorite. Her long, pretty blonde hair and her beautiful sea-blue eyes. Andrew had, despite his teenage rebellion, always adored his sister more than anything else, and Lucy's brothers and sister hadn't been much different. But there wasn't much difference between the two of them despite their looks, were there? So why did Lucy always have a feeling of having to compete for their family's attention when it came to her and Cornelia? They had somewhat the same personalities and they were only two years apart in age where Cornelia was the oldest. Again, Lucy sometimes hated being the youngest. Why was Cornelia perfect? Lucy had noticed that Cornelia had started doubting that Andrew would even return from war. Which kind of sister does that?

Desperate to find the remaining text, Lucy's eyes hungrily searched the page, her fingers causing the parchment to complain underneath them. When she couldn't find them and decided that she didn't want to remain in this place in case the oppressor came, Lucy gently but determinedly ripped off the page. But as soon as the last rip separated the page from the book, Lucy stepped back in fright as a lion roared and the pages started flipping violently again. And all the negative thoughts and tension disappeared out of her body, leaving her mind in a confused daze.

"Lucy!"

Lucy gasped, hearing Aslan's stern and disappointed voice. The teen looked behind her, only to see the library as it was. Aslan wasn't there with her.

"Lucy." Aslan said again, his voice faltering almost to a whisper.

"Aslan?" Lucy questioned, the guilt slowly consuming her as despair filled her eyes. "Aslan."

When the lion didn't say another word, Lucy turned around hesitantly as the pages slowly stopped flipping. Breathing heavily, Lucy hurried to hide the ripped off page from the book in a pocket in her trousers before she approached the book again wearily, suddenly realizing what exactly she had entered this room for.

"A spell to make the unseen seen." Lucy started and began to read aloud.

 _ **|G|**_

This could surely not be any kind of normal, even unnormal. The company had gone from walking heavily through sand to walking lightly on the greenest and well-mowed grass with weirdly formed trees and bushes around them. Cornelia's senses were on high alert as she walked in formation with Tristane, Edmund and Caspian, whom like the rest of their crew except for Rhince who was pretty preoccupied with a frightened Gael, had weapons at the ready.

Dawn had come, coloring the sky different colors from light pink to grey so beautifully, but that didn't manage to make Cornelia's mood better. Lucy was missing, and whatever or whoever they were had taken her from right under their noses. And these creatures seemed to be big too, so there was no time for getting caught off guard. Or it could turn bad real fast.

Cornelia had for a very long time had the ability to sense the state of mind of the people around her, and although she was primarily focusing on any ambushes, she still let her mind wander.

The general state of the crew were lots of tension. Concern for their queen's safety and determination for her safe return. And concern for their own safety as they didn't know who or what they would be facing. Rhince held his daughter close and stayed in the back with a couple of guards as ordered by Caspian. The sight of the father holding his child close made Cornelia's heart ache after her own father's warm and strong embrace. The two of them had grown closer while she and her mother slowly was drifting a bit more apart because of her mother's hysterics, at least according to Cornelia herself.

She noticed how Tristane tried to make his way away from Caspian and closer to her, but Caspian withheld a firm, psychological grasp on Tristane in the form of stern, beckoning eyes every time Tristane was too far away out of Caspian's reach, and Cornelia felt a bit guilty along with a strange fluttering feeling as she thought it may be because of Caspian knowing about Tristane's strange and a bit hurtful behavior at times towards her. Was her best friend mad at her? She realized that three years apart was a long time, but she surely thought that their friendship was stronger than that.

Caspian's jaw was set in determination and perhaps a slight dip of anger and remorse. Cornelia knew better than anyone that all of the Pevensies had become like siblings to Caspian, and the noble king protected his family and the people of Narnia fiercely. She knew how he felt because she felt the same. Lucy was her family, and she wanted to get her back safely, and so did Caspian. They just had to find her first.

And when Cornelia finally looked at her older cousin, her heart broke. Edmund's face was white as a sheet, his deep, brown eyes filled with uncertainty and worry for his baby sister's safety.

Cornelia's eyes flickered from golden to blue and back to golden, so fast that unless you had been studying her, you wouldn't have noticed. That had never happened before. A lack in concentration from her side, that is. What was happening to her?

Suddenly, Edmund broke out of their formation and kneeled at a bush.

"Caspian, Cor. Lucy's dagger."

Cornelia took purposeful strides towards her cousin and saw exactly what he saw; Lucy's dagger with a red and golden shaft, while Caspian turned back to look at them. The King had just let himself lean forward to take a closer look when spears suddenly came out of nowhere, narrowly missing any of them. Caspian shot up in front of Cornelia and turned around to face an invisible foe. Everyone by now had their swords aimed high.

"Stop right there or perish." A gruff voice suddenly spoke.

Then Caspian's sword was knocked of his hands and he was pushed backwards onto the ground, barely missing Cornelia who swiftly stepped aside, in turn instead hovering protectively over her king while making sure that Edmund, Tristane and everyone else were okay, despite several of them them being pushed to the ground. The Goldenflower inside her was starting to get royally pissed off, Cornelia's eyes glowering in its golden form.

She soon let out a cry however when she was slapped across the face so violently that she fell to the ground and lost focus. And soon everyone else was given the same treatment around her.

"Quit looking at me like that with those eyes, cat-witch." A lighter gruff voice growled at her from somewhere Cornelia couldn't locate. It, whatever it was, had _slapped_ her.

"What sort of creatures are you?" Caspian questioned with a shocked and desperate look in his eyes as he scrambled to his feet as Cornelia was hoisted to her feet by her arms by Tristane.

"Big ones." The first gruff voice replied, "With the head of a tiger and a body of a..."

"Different tiger." Another voice chimed in.

"Yeah." Several agreements sounded all around them.

"You don't want to mess with us." The first voice spoke again.

"Or what?" Edmund challenged, holding a hand out towards Tristane and especially Cornelia behind him.

"Or I'll claw you to death..." a lighter voice replied. That was when Cornelia laughed. Suddenly, the enchantment that had kept these creatures around them invisible had worn off. And now they were just laughable. They were small men, smaller than dwarfs with one big foot and harmless clubs made of moss in their hands. They were all in pairs where one held the club and one held the other up.

"And I'll ram my tusks right through you." Another creature continued. They had obviously not realized that they weren't invisible to them anymore.

"And I'll gnash you with my teeth." The first voice became visible, almost looking like a dwarf with the long-bearded face and a spear in his hand.

"And I'll bite you with my fangs." A final creature growled, trying to sound intimidating.

Edmund smirked, winking at the youngsters behind him before speaking, "You mean, squash us with your fat bellies?"

"Yes!" the creatures agreed before they stiffened.

"Fat bellies? Huh?"

"Tickle us with your toes?" Caspian continued teasing where Edmund left off.

"Whoa!" the leader was suddenly thrown from the shoulders of his carrier, causing the crew to laugh. Cornelia smirked as her golden eyes returned. Oh, they were going to pay for that slap.

But before Cornelia could get to the leader with the long beard, Edmund was leagues ahead of her.

"What have you done with my sister, you little pipsqueak?" He questioned threateningly while Drinian held a sword to the creature's head, and Edmund placed his sword at its neck.

As icing on the cake, Cornelia swiftly stepped up behind Edmund, making sure the creature could see her and her furious-looking golden eyes stare at him.

"Now, calm down." The creature peeped.

"Where is she?" Edmund snapped.

"You better tell him."

"Tell him, Chief." Several voices chimed in.

"In the mansion." The creature replied fearfully.

Cornelia's patience was fading. " _What_ mansion?" she seethed in her deepened voice, belonging to the Goldenflower.

Then the creature nodded his side to the side. Shortly after, it started rumbling and something sounding like liquid rippling until suddenly a magnificient mansion that nearly had the same charm as Professor Kirke's mansion back in the English countryside where Peter was currently studying.

"Oh." Edmund exclaimed softly. "That mansion."

"You know, I'm really getting tired of you all leaving me behin..."

Cornelia started at first hearing the ever complaining voice of Eustace, which she happily had forgotten all about. Her mood changed soon however when the creatures exclaimed, "It's the pig! The pig's come back."

Cornelia snorted and held a hand up to her mouth to prevent herself from laughing out loud.

Eustace looked like he was about to faint again as he eyed the creatures, his voice drawling, "This place just gets weirder and weirder."

"Weird?" the creatures exclaimed, clearly outraged, "Him calling _us_ weird?""

Then suddenly the creatures' moods changed and they began panicking when several of them looking behind them and chanted, "The Oppressor! The Oppressor!"

Cornelia turned around abruptly, her heart beating out of her chest. But she calmed visibly when she saw Lucy walking calmly and smiling beside an older gentleman in a brown coat-looking attire. She heard everyone else turn around behind her, Edmund exclaiming happily to her left as he sheathed his sword, "Lucy!"

The older man then bowed towards her, Edmund and Caspian with a hand over his heart. "Your Majesty. My Lady."

"Cor, Caspian and Edmund. This is Coriakin. It's his island." Lucy introduced.

Cornelia curtsied while Caspian and Edmund bowed simultaneously.

"That's what he thinks." the leader of the creatures exclaimed. "You have wronged us, magician."

Lucy glared at the creature while the man, now known as Coriakin calmly spoke as he started walking towards the creatures, past them and the crew who made way for him and Lucy, who in turn wobbled away, "I have not wronged you. I made you invisible for your own protection. "

"Protection?" the creatures cried.

"That's oppressive!"

"Oppressor!"

"I have not oppressed you." Coriakin spoke.

"But you could've...if you'd wanted to." The leader of the creatures weakly defended.

Then Coriakin pulled something from his pocket and cast it out towards the creatures. "Begone."

The creatures began anxiously shouting as they jumped away. "It's a spell!"

"What was that?" Lucy questioned as Coriakin turned his back on the fleeing creatures and towards them and the crew again.

The older man leant closer to Lucy and calmly said, "Lint. But don't tell them. "

The cries of the creatures could still be heard and they could still be seen as they gingerly jumped away, making somer saults and other amusing movements, which would have humored Cornelia any other day if she knew everything was at peace, but which there clearly were not.

"What were those things?" Eustace questioned frantically.

"Dufflepuds." Coriakin turned back to reply, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

"Right. Of course. Silly me." Eustace bit back snarkily.

Cornelia let out a giggle as Caspian with a smile slung an arm around her shoulder as they and their crew followed Coriakin up to his now very much visible mansion.

 _ **|G|**_

"What did you mean when you said you made them invisible for their own good?" Lucy questioned Coriakin as she, Edmund, Cornelia, Caspian, Tristane, Eustace and Drinian had joined the magician on a walkthrough of his mansion while the rest of the crew and Gael were given something to eat and drink in the kitchens.

"It seemed the easiest way to protect them from the evil." Coriakin explained in front of Cornelia, who was walking behind him and Lucy with the rest.

"You mean the mist?" Edmund questioned as they walked through another hallway.

"I mean what lies behind the mist." Coriakin replied vaguely, letting them enter what looked like his library first. All of them gathered around in the room, but what memorized them was the ceiling, who seemed to be showing the evening sky full of stars. Coriakin grabbed a scroll from one of his book cases and then let it unfold, letting it float in the air above the ground. It was a magical map showing them the sea with clouds in the sky and everything. Cornelia remembered some places on the maps from their lessons with Mr. Tumnus and other old friends – some she didn't.

"That's quite beautiful, " Eustace spoke, quite mesmerized by the map from beside Lucy and Edmund.

The map showed different things in the corners from Oreius blowing his horn at Aslan's camp to when they first clashed with Jadis' army, which made Cornelia think fondly of her first mentor, and also with sadness that she never got to say goodbye to her first mentor.

Cornelia, Lucy and Edmund each quirked an eyebrow at Eustace's statement. The cousin saw this and cleared his throat, awkwardly, "I mean for a make-believe map of a make-believe world."

Cornelia and Edmund shared a look and silently smirked. Their cousin was not oh-so-strictly factual after all.

"There is the source of your troubles." Coriakin spoke as the map moved to let them view an island filled with darkness. "Dark Island. A place where evil lurks."

Coriakin then proceeded to look at each of them.

"It can take any form." Coriakin went to stand directly in front of Edmund, who looked at the magician with wide, worried eyes. "It can make your darkest dreams come true."

Then Coriakin looked to Caspian, "It seeks to corrupt all goodness."

Caspian refused to meet Coriakin's glance at first, but with slightly glazed and worried eyes, the King finally met the magician's gaze and nodded determinedly.

"It will make even the strongest hopes falter and perish." Coriakin then proceeded to look knowingly at Cornelia, who in turn twisted uncomfortably as she felt that familiar pit of guilt and shame in her stomach.

"...to steal the light from this world." Coriakin looked to Tristane who looked slightly uncomfortable, stealing glances at Cornelia who didn't seem to notice as she focused intensely on Coriakin's words.

"How do we stop it?" Lucy asked determinedly, showing her true colors as the Valiant Queen of Narnia.

"You must break its spell." Coriakin replied, looking to the teenager before turning back towards Edmund, pointing at Lord Bern's sword by his side. "That sword you carry – there are six others."

"Have you seen them?" Edmund questioned.

"Yes. " Coriakin replied, looking to Caspian who spoke, "The six lords—they passed through here?"

"Indeed." Coriakin affirmed walking through the map.

"Where were they headed?" Caspian questioned calmly.

"Where I sent them." Coriakin replied before the map moved again beneath his feet.

"To break the spell," the magician continued, "you must follow the Blue Star to Ramandu's Island. There the seven sword must laid at Aslan's table."

Cornelia frowned. Aslan's table?

"Only then can their true magical power be released." Coriakin finished.

Caspian turned back to look at Drinian behind him, who sent the king a look which Cornelia couldn't quite decipher.

Coriakin warned, "But beware. You are all about to be tested."

"Tested?" Lucy's strong voice faltered in confusion.

Coriakin walked closer to her and sent her a similiar look he sent Cornelia, which made the screws and bolts in Cornelia's brain turn when Lucy looked almost guiltily at the magician.

"Until you lay down the seventh sword, evil has the upper hand. It will do everything in its power to tempt you. Be strong."

Cornelia swallowed a lump that had formed in her throat and looked slightly alarmed at her older brother figures, seeking some consolation, but all she received were poor attempts and just as nervous looks back.

"Don't fall to temptation." Coriakin warned before looking to Caspian once again. "To defeat the darkness out there, you must defeat the darkness inside yourself."

Cornelia met Caspian's gaze, both of them mirroring the same expression of worry of the unknown, Edmund looking just as nervous. But then, it was like a magical force made Cornelia look at Lucy, who at the same time looked determinedly at her. It was a look Cornelia hadn't seen on Lucy since their Golden Age where she had been older and Peter once again had told her something the Valiant Queen couldn't do because she was so young. But the look was still as chilling now when she was younger, but there was also something unnerving about Lucy's sudden determinedness and irrationality that worried Cornelia and woke all of the warning signs within the Goldenflower. Coriakin only said that they would all be tested, but not when or where. What if Lucy had already been tested, and she hadn't succeeded quite as well as she thought?


	10. Chapter Nine

Hello my lovelies

Long time…like really long. Like many times before, I apologize deeply.

There are several reasons as to why I haven't updated in so long:

A) This chapter has been very difficult for me to write because I'm touching a topic like PTSD for war veterans in this chapter, which is something I've studied very briefly in connection to my last big written assignment in high school. The content in this chapter is merely my take on what a scenario could look like. Thereby also a little warning in connection to triggers - I've tried to make the description subtle, but proceed reading with caution if you suffer from PTSD.

B) I enrolled at University at the start of September (yes, I've become a big girl all of a sudden, lol), and my, uni is quite a mouthful to take in. Long story short, I simply haven't had got the time to write, let alone read any of the fanfictions I follow. The list with chapters have simply been piling up - just like the material from uni I haven't had the time to read :P

Anyhow, those who've stayed, will come back at the arrival of this chapter, those who have just discovered this little baby of mine, welcome back. My motivation for writing has not wavered an inch, there simply isn't enough hours in a day, and yet I have so many ideas for the future.

I hope you enjoy, despite the bit heavy content!

Sincerely, Camilla

Disclaimer is the same for all chapters.

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 **Goldenflower 3: The Last Return**

 **Chapter Nine**

* * *

Cornelia was pretty positive that she had never been as wet as she was in the current position she was in. Shortly after they had left Coriakin's island, a violent storm and a thunder storm had overwhelmed them. The teen could barely hear the crewmen shouting all around her for the roar of Mother Nature, Thor the Norse God or a third thing. Shivering with her regular clothes beneath a special made storm – and raincoat, Cornelia was trying to help the crew whereever she could. It was difficult, but she managed to warm herself up a bit with the help from the power of the Goldenflower, but she could only focus for so long with how her body was shivering.

Lucy had taken Gael off Rhince's hands and brought the little girl down to Caspian's quarters which Cornelia and Lucy currently vacated as a courtesy from their friend. The ship was creaking, and at times it made Cornelia stiffen and look one more time to make sure that the ship wouldn't betray them without them noticing. But the warrior had to give it to the builders and Caspian's faith in them. The Dawn Treader had lasted for hours and there hadn't been any reports on any leak yet.

Slight wobbly and with some difficulty, Cornelia was managing to make her way around deck. Currently, she was helping in the area around the helm where she clearly could hear Drinian's commanding growls, "Three spokes to starboard!"

"Aye, aye, sir!"

Cornelia then proceeded to walk down the stairs with difficulty before approaching Tavros and several crew men, who were handling the sails.

"May I be of service, Tavros?" Cornelia yelled while trying to keep her drenched blonde hair out of her mouth.

The enourmous minotaur turned to look wide-eyed at the teen. "But, my lady..." Tavros stammered in a growl.

Cornelia snorted, and although her voice was kind, it was also determined and non-negotiable. "I can handle a little rain. Give me that rope."

The minotaur reluctantly handed the teen a rope with a good natured snort. Cornelia then took a firm hold of the rope with both her hands, calling upon the powers of the Goldenflower.

"On my call, men, lady." Tavros acknowledged.

Cornelia smirked, her eyes having transformed into its golden color, whereafter she gave the minotaur a small nod.

Tavros looked at her before growling, "Heave!"

And so Cornelia did easily by the help of her powers that was leaving a warm sensation throughout her body as she felt the energy surge through her and out through her hands as she along with the other crewmembers concentrated on keeping the sails steady.

She had never tried being hit by a large wave before, so when she suddenly was hit by a massive force of water coming over the railing, she nearly toppled over and she lost focus, causing her powers to disappear. She managed to keep the rope steady, but not before she felt stiff and incredibly cold again. But she hadn't been the only one as the crew members around her too were soaked once again. So she sucked her curse up in respect to these men who had gone through such a weather as this before. She hadn't been chosen as the Goldenflower for nothing, so she wasn't one to whine and moan about some water.

"My lady!" a distant voice sounded over the crashing waves and other shouts. Cornelia turned in the direction of which the call came, while making sure not to loosen her already slippery grip on the rope.

She soon recognized the figure approaching to be Drinian. She hadn't seen it right away because of the hood he was wearing.

"King Caspian wants to see us both, my lady." The old sea captain announced when he was standing directly in front of her.

Cornelia nodded while summoning another crewman to take her spot with her hand. "Where?" she asked.

"Captain's Quarters." Drinian replied.

Cornelia nodded. "Lead the way, Captain."

Walking or rather scrambling behind Drinian made it a little easier to walk as Drinian's form took most of the wind and rain – in front.

The transition from walking outside to entering the captain's quarters made Cornelia shudder suddenly as warmth embraced her entire body. Drinian held the double door open for her before he lost his rain coat by it. Caspian sat on the couch, looking out of the rain cloaked windows when she entered. Edmund was standing off to the side, holding his balance by holding onto a plank in the ceiling – yes, he's become that tall – and when he saw his cousin's disheveled looks, the smug bastard just smirked and shook his head.

"You look like a drowned cat." Edmund stated smoothly with a charming smirk that seemed to catch more girls' eyes more now than ever back in England.

Cornelia's eyes narrowed as she made a face at her cousin and playfully stuck her tongue out at him.

"Oh for goodness sake, Cor, come here quickly, you'll catch a cold." Caspian chatised lightly as he stood up, grabbed a blanket and approached the relatives. Cornelia normally didn't appreciate people fussing over her, but she barely got to react before Caspian had reached them, helped her get rid of her coat, wrapped her up in the blanket and led her towards the couch with a firm arm around her.

As Cornelia was forced to sit down by Caspian, who in turn sat down next to her, she scrunched her face into a grimace as she tried to blow a strand of hair away from her face in an upgiving manner. Through her locks, she could see Edmund smile and roll his eyes at her. To her left, she could feel Caspian staring at her and when she turned to meet his gaze, he sent her a small smile while he shook his head lightly.

"What?" she exclaimed softly, "You and Edmund were out there too."

Caspian let out a snort and smiled softly at her before gently ruffling Cornelia's wet hair, at the same time removing the annoying locks from her forehead.

"So where are we right now, Drinian?" Caspian questioned the Captain next who was roaming around the table in front of them, a single candle flapping lightly at Drinian's movements.

"So we're stuck here..." Drinian drawled frustratedly and pointed at a place on the map before turning to face them. If Cornelia had to guess, it had to be somewhere not far from Coriakin's island, "At half rations, with food and water for two more weeks, maximum."

Drinian then looked sternly at Edmund and Caspian in turn before continuing with a grim look on his face, "This is your last chance to turn back, your majesties."

Cornelia frowned. This seemed to come out of nowhere to her. But she noticed Caspian look worriedly at first her and then Edmund before Drinian continued, "There's no guarantee we'll spot the Blue Star any time soon. Not in this storm."

Cornelia could see that Caspian was thinking very hard and fighting an inner battle. She knew that he could see where the captain, responsible for his crew, came from but she also knew that Caspian felt like he owed his father to find his friends and to help Rhince save his wife.

"Needle in a haystack, trying to find this Ramandu place." Drinian drawled, he too holding onto a plank in the ceiling. "We could sail right past it and off the edge of the world."

"Or get eaten by a sea serpent." Edmund replied, a light sarcasm evident in his voice.

Cornelia felt doubt fill her heart by the captain's words and slight unease by her cousin's easy joke, and she unconsciously leaned closer to Caspian. It wasn't until she felt Caspian rub her back soothingly before giving her shoulder a squeeze that she realized that she pretty much leaned into his side.

When Cornelia looked up at Caspian, she noticed that he was eyeing Edmund with a glare.

"I'm just saying the men are getting nervous." Drinian replied eyeing the Just king calmly, but his eyes showed annoyance at the jab Edmund sent his way. Drinian moved around to face all three of them again. "These are strange seas we are sailing, the likes of which I've never seen before."

Caspian put a gentle hand on Cornelia's shoulder before he calmly with stress in his voice started speaking before eyeing Drinian with a scrutinizing stare before standing up, nearing where the captain was standing, "Then perhaps, Captain, you would like to be one to explain to Mr. Rhince that we're abandoning the search for his family."

Caspian's voice didn't leave any doubt. It was challenging, in a way Cornelia had never heard before. He had grown as a man and as a king in the time she, Edmund and Lucy had been away. It suited him, but only because Cornelia also knew how soft and kind he could be.

Caspian had placed both hands on the table, leaning towards Drinian who stood on the other side, and who was eyeing his king with a startled and regretful look.

Drinian sunk a lump in his throat before he regretfully and swiftly shook his head, his eyes meeting both Edmund and Cornelia's gaze before announcing, "I'll get back to it."

He then grabbed his coat from the stand behind him before turning towards the three of them again, "Just a word of warning. The sea can play nasty tricks on a crew's mind."

Drinian then pulled the hood up over his head. "Very nasty."

And then he made his way outside in the storm again.

The three of them looked at each other, Cornelia having joined the two standing males.

"What are your thoughts on this?" Caspian asked Cornelia quietly.

Cornelia's lips twitched to the side as she thought about it.

"I think," she paused. "He has a point, but you do too. It's difficult, Cas. We could get trouble for choosing few individuals over the majority, but...we promised Rhince and there was a reason why you went aboard this boat to start with."

Caspian bit his lip but nodded. "Thank you."

Cornelia smiled sadly at her brother figure's despair and gently wrapped her arms around his middle and squeezed softly. Caspian's arms immediately went around her figure.

After a couple minutes in silence, Cornelia frowned and addressed her cousin, still locked in Caspian's embrace. "Sea serpent, Ed?"

Cornelia felt Caspian's body shake lightly as he chuckled while Edmund snorted. " _That_ was what you got out of that conversation?"

 **|G|**

Cornelia's body and head was softly lolling back and forth with the ship's movements. Not long after the meeting in the Captain's Quarters, Cornelia had decided to go to bed. Lucy and Gael had had the same idea as they were already sound asleep when Cornelia entered Caspian's quarters, Lucy having draped a protective arm around Gael's small sleeping form. And Cornelia had laid down in a makeshift bed opposite them and was now shifting between being asleep and awake.

The ship's movements due to the large waves were a bit too violent to be directly soothing, but the rocking still made Cornelia relax as she associated the rocking with how Andrew had made her sleep after a nightmare. But as opposed to no more than a year ago where she could clearly see her older brother's face in her mind, as well as remember the sense of security and soundness she would feel whenever her brother held her in his arms, those memories seemed to be fading just a little with each day. Cornelia didn't know how or why. But something was changing, but she didn't know what it was, or something inside her didn't want her to know and realize it.

After a while, Cornelia let herself slowly drift off, right at the turf of succumbing to sleep completely. Then she heard rustling from the opposite bed, but she guessed that it was merely one of the two girls turning in their sleep.

But then she heard Lucy speaking, "Transform my reflection, cast into perfection, lashes, lips and complextion. Make me she, whom I'd agree holds more beauty over me."

Immediately, Cornelia could feel the magic in the air, but she also felt something darker and then heard a hissing.

"Lu-wha-."

But when she opened her eyes, she was met by a blinding white light, and she felt herself succumb to a forced kind of sleep.

 _Cornelia found herself standing in the bright sunlight in front of one of those American mansions you only saw in motion pictures now a days. She was running her hands down her deep blue navy dress that was approximately knee-length, as if she was trying to straigthen it out. Her hair was neatly done, stylishly falling down beneath her shoulders in soft waves. She could smell and feel the products used for her hair. She never used products. She felt exposed and insecure. Why was she here again?_

" _Would you stop fussing over that dress, Lia? You look absolutely stunning."_

 _Wait a minute. She knew that voice._

 _Cornelia turned around, only to be left completely flabbergasted and her heart started beating rapidly as it filled with warmth._

 _In front of her Andrew stood with a devillish smirk on his face as he eyed his younger sister with complete adoration. He was wearing a dark suit and tie that was darker than her dress, but still matched. His hair was slicked back by the help of several products as well. She had never seen him look that fancy before._

" _Well," Andrew, sending her a confused smile as he gently took her hand and led it through the hook of his arm. "What are we waiting for?"_

 _All Cornelia ever wanted was to pull her brother close and hold him tight, but a strange feeling of hesitation and of what other people would think prevented her from doing so. When had she ever let that happen?_

" _Where are we going?" Cornelia questioned shakily as she reluctantly followed Andrew's confident strides as they entered the mansion._

 _Andrew let out a sound that could qualify as a snort and looked down at his little sister with a teasing smile, "Well to the party of course in the honor of the war's end and of you-know-who."_

 _It was like living inside a comedy Cornelia had seen a couple of when she asked, genuinely confused while trying to wrap her head around that the war was over. "Who?"_

 _Then for the first time, the chipper Andrew disappeared and was replaced with a sadder Andrew. His eyes held so much pity in them for her that it nearly physically hurt Cornelia looking into them. Herself, she felt a pang of pain in her chest as if she was forgetting or denying something, like something was missing._

" _Boy," Andrew spoke quietly as he with fake smiles led her through the mansion and towards the other side where a party was held. "Mum wasn't overreacting when she said you were in denial."_

 _When Cornelia blinked and stared just as blankly back at her brother, Andrew quickly looked up and saw that they were being waved forward by the announcer standing in the door a few meters in front of them._

" _Look," Andrew said softly. "Just try to smile, okay. I know that Mum hasn't been fair to you about all this, but he would have wanted you to be happy, to move on. And me? I just want to see my little sister smile again."_

 _Andrew's words hit Cornelia hard and she had so many questions whirring through her brain, but instead of keeping on questioning him, it was like something took over her body and she found herself nodding before she put on a big, fake smile as she and Andrew proceeded to walk towards the announcer._

" _There's my girl." she heard Andrew mutter so only she could hear. There was an ounce of pride but also sadness to detect in his voice._

 _The announcer pleasantly greeted the both of them, before Andrew straightened and gave his sister a soft squeeze of the hand. Cornelia found herself straighten too, putting on her best facade like she had seen unhappy girls do in motion pictures time and time again._

 _Glenn Miller's instrumental Big Band-hit 'In the Mood' was playing as Cornelia and Andrew stepped out into the sun again to see many people dressed up just like them. Some men were even dressed in military uniforms ranging from the army, the air corps and to the navy._

" _Ladies and gentlemen," the announcer spoke up, causing everyone's eyes to be directed at the two siblings. "Mr. And Miss Sprout Pevensie."_

 _Cornelia felt her cheeks heating up as she, led by Andrew, walked past many people who were smiling and clapping at them, but she also couldn't help but notice the looks of pity on especially the women's faces as they held onto their partner extra tightly._

 _They walked past a couple of young, handsome soldiers in their Class A uniforms. They weren't looking her up and down as one might expect, but rather they were giving her respectful nods as they took off their caps and bowed their heads when she and Andrew past them._

" _They seem to remember you." Andrew said quietly as he put them to a stop not far from the young soldiers. "From the dinner before he – they went overseas."_

 _Cornelia blinked as she took it all in, finally realizing why everyone including her brother sent her pitying looks. The war was over, and she had lost someone in it – she had lost someone she loved. Then her mind went blank about everything else as she felt a nagging amount of pain and grief surge through her body, like she couldn't control what she was feeling. Like she was living someone else's life._

" _Ladies and gentlemen.." the announcer spoke again as a person Cornelia knew all too well had stepped outside as well. "Miss Pevensie."_

 _She had always envied Susan's beauty she seemed to remember, but she was strangely enough at peace when she saw how her cousin was admired as she walked the same walk she and Andrew had moments before. Like Cornelia had had something that Susan had yet to experience._

 _But there was something different about this Susan as Cornelia noticed how she walked. Susan used to walk with a lot more grace, and not with as much spring in her step as she did now. But it didn't prevent the young soldiers to look after her and comment on how much of a looker she was._

 _Andrew led Cornelia towards Susan without a word, who soon too were joined by her brothers on each side._

" _Edmund!" Susan exclaimed in confusion as the youngest of the three looped an arm through his sister's._

" _You look beautiful, sister." Edmund commented as the two of them came to a stop in front of Andrew and Cornelia._

" _As always." Peter commented gently, coming up to Susan's other side._

" _Peter." Susan exclaimed just as before as Peter too looped an arm through Susan's._

 _Their female cousin then looked up, her eyes widening in surprise as she saw Cornelia and especially Andrew standing there. She looked as if she had seen a ghost._

" _Are you all right, Su?" Cornelia heard herself ask before she could react. A soft smile was planted on her lips, but where she deep down felt a conflict rise inside her. Because it didn't feel like it was Susan who was standing in front of her, but someone else. But that was highly illogical._

" _Cornelia.." Susan said in surprise before looking to Andrew. "Andrew..."_

" _Wow, it's a first that our dear Su seems lost for words." Andrew teased, causing Edmund and Peter to chuckle._

" _Excuse me, miss. " A photographer put up his camera. "Can I get a photo?"_

 _The Pevensies lined up with Cornelia standing next to Edmund with Andrew on her other side, while Susan was stuck in the middle between her brothers._

" _Mother and our aunt is going to love this." Peter spoke up. "All of their children in one picture."_

" _Smile." the photographer drawled._

" _Hang on," Susan suddenly said, lightly offended. "Where am I?"_

 _Cornelia looked at her cousin in confusion, and she could feel and see Andrew, Peter and Edmund do the same too._

" _I mean, where's Lucy?" Susan elaborated._

 _Again, Cornelia felt a strange pang of pain in her chest. Like there was something else that was missing._

" _Lucy?" Edmund questioned before looking at the photographer again, smiling. "Who's Lucy?"_

 _The camera flashed once as the photographer took their picture when Cornelia suddenly heard Peter ask his sister with a snippet of confusion and slight annoyance as he still smiled at the camera, "Susan, what's wrong?"_

" _Come on, now miss." The photographer said. "Nice big smile."_

 _Cornelia felt Andrew's arm leave hers as she suddenly felt a struggle beside her. She turned to look and see Susan pull away from her brothers._

" _Edmund, I'm not sure about all this." Susan spoke uncertainly. "I think I want to go back."_

" _Go back where?" Edmund questioned while shifting between looking at Susan and the camera._

" _To Narnia." Susan replied like it was obvious. What was Narnia?_

 _Again, Cornelia felt a pang of pain surge through her. What was happening?_

" _What on Earth is Narnia?" Andrew and Edmund asked simultaneously._

" _What's going on?" Susan suddenly exclaimed, struggling against her brothers' hold on her. "Stop this!" she exclaimed, her voice going an octave higher than it used to, like it wasn't her voice._

 _Then the camera flashed time and time again, and when Cornelia gathered her wits again, she looked up to see that Susan was gone, her brothers looking puzzled in one direction she seemed to have run off to._

" _What on Earth is on with her?" Peter questioned with an uncertain smirk on his lips as he tried to keep on a facade._

" _Don't know." Cornelia said lightly and frowned._

 _Then she noticed Edmund and Peter and particularly Andrew tense up beside her as they looked at something or someone behind her._

" _May I have the honor of the next dance, miss Pevensie?" a smooth voice spoke behind her back._

 _That voice sounded vaguely familiar, hidden vaguely somewhere deep in her conscience. She watched Peter and Edmund's eyes darken and Andrew gritting his teeth discreetly. Slowly she began to turn around._

" _Cornelia. Wake up." a gentle yet stern growling voice suddenly spoke inside her head._

 _She turned around and blinked and she felt like she had just opened her eyes at first in the morning. Then everything became white, engulfing the silhouette she could make out into nothing._

Cornelia woke up with a gasp, panting as if she had been under water for some time. Immediately, she turned to see Gael lying, still fast asleep, but the space where Lucy had previously been sleeping was vacated.

Then it hit Cornelia like a brick. Lucy's temptation. It was a spell she had heard her speak, most likely from the book of incantations. Lucy's test was jealousy, jealousy of Cornelia and of Susan's beauty. She had dreamed Lucy's hallucination of a wish.

Lucy had never been born in that dream, and that meant that they had never discovered Narnia. It was an alternate reality that showcased Lucy's importance in their lives.

"Lucy, what did you do?" Cornelia whispered sadly, feeling the tears press on as she now realized the pain Lucy must ultimately have been in. And Cornelia hadn't even seen or noticed it.

Cornelia stayed awake for a while to see if Lucy came back so she could comfort her, and at the same time watch over Gael as the thunderstorm only seemed to increase. But after a while, exhaustion overtook her and she fell asleep once more.

 _Cornelia's eyelids fluttered as a flash of light swept across her face. Then her nostrils picked up the scent of the loveliest smell of homemade breakfast – all of which made Cornelia's eyes flutter open, a frown evident on her else pretty face. It took a while to get her bearings as the smell of homemade breakfast was something she honestly couldn't remember when she had had last as well as she didn't recognize the raw white ceiling she was looking up at right away. Then she realized she was home, in her room._

 _She sat up and looking around. It looked exactly like the way it did when she had left home to go to Cambridge with Edmund and Lucy. She noticed the curtains flapping, indicating that her window was opened just like her mother always used to do. She could hear the birds chirping lightly. And then she heard the light and happy voices of her parents downstairs. A sound which she hadn't heard for a long time, not since Andrew went missing, truly._

 _Slowly, Cornelia slid out of her bed whereupon she realized that she was wearing an ordinary girly night gown, which was highly uncharacteristic for her as she used to aim for stealing some of her brother's shirts to sleep in each night. Some of them still smelled of him. The year on the calendar by her desk caught her eyes next._

 _March 1945._

 _Had she woken up at home? Had she unconsciously left Narnia?_

 _On her tip-toes, Cornelia walked across her room and towards the door. Along with her parents' light voices, she now too could hear the scratching from the radio blend in into the harmony that seemed to be in the house. Cornelia descended the staircase silently, postponing coming face to face with her parents for as long as she could until she had wrapped her head around the dream she was having. She hadn't had bad dreams for a while, but she had never experienced a dream quite like this either._

 _When she reached the bottom of the staircase, she knew that there was no turning back and she also felt as if she was pulled in the direction of the kitchen. Cornelia hesitated for a moment by the entrance to the kitchen. She in – and exhaled deeply once before she walked into the kitchen._

 _Her Dad sat at his usual spot by the dinner table, reading the paper like he had done every morning for as long as Cornelia could remember. Her Mum was standing at the stove with her back turned towards Cornelia. It was only when Cornelia cleared her throat that her parents noticed her appearance._

" _Good morning, darling." Cornelia's father had lowered the paper to send his daughter a warm smile, motioning to the chair across from him. "Sit down. Your mother's almost got breakfast ready."_

 _Timidly, Cornelia smiled and gingerly took a seat where her Dad had pointed out and said, "Good morning, Dad. Good morning, Mum."_

" _Good morning, sweetheart." Her mother greeted airily as she passed her daughter, pressing a gentle kiss to her temple while balancing the last stack of pancakes in her hand._

 _Cornelia was almost perplexed as her mother sat down next to her husband. She couldn't remember the last peaceful breakfast they've had just like this._

" _Cornelia."_

 _Cornelia was only a couple of bites into her first pancake when her mother had softly called her name._

 _The teenager looked questionably at her mother._

 _Clarissa smiled sweetly. "Your father and I met Vincent out and about yesterday, and since we mentioned that you had declined going to Cambridge with Edmund and Lucy to live with their cousin for a while-."_

" _Such a spiteful brat." Cornelia's Dad muttered._

" _David." Clarissa chided lightly before continuing, "He wondered if you'd like to work more hours the next few weeks?"_

 _Cornelia's mind went blank for a moment. Had she declined? Really?_

" _Yes, sure." Cornelia then stammered. "I'd love to."_

 _Clarissa smiled widely. "Splendid. Remember to give him a call today then, to tell him the good news."_

" _Yes, Mum." was Cornelia's prompt reply._

" _Now where that's settled," David spoke up before looking at his daughter with a confused frown, "What on Earth are you wearing?"_

" _David!" Clarissa exclaimed, sending her husband a pointed look before looking reassuringly at their daughter. "I think you look lovely and very feminine, darling."_

 _Cornelia frowned at first and looked down at herself and then realized what her father was talking about. She had nearly forgotten that she was wearing that distasteful nightgown._

 _Witty and quick-thinking, Cornelia quickly came up with a reply. She looked at her father with a shrug and smirked teasingly while she grimaced, "Just wanted to see what the fuss was all about, you know."_

" _And?" David asked with a furrowed eyebrow._

 _Cornelia's smile could be compared to a Chesire cat's, "Meh, it's not my thing."_

 _Her Dad's laughter was boisterous and addictive. "That's my girl."_

 _Meanwhile, Clarissa was looking at her family while trying to look unimpressed, but her voice betrayed her as she couldn't hide her amusement. "You two are terrible."_

 _Cornelia giggled while her father roared with laughter once more._

 _The teen couldn't quite believe this. When had it last been like this in real life? Somehow, it also made her feel bad, because Andrew wasn't there with them. Cornelia then noticed that her parents still had all the pictures up of Andrew on the fridge. They had been there for a while after he had been reported missing, but one day they were gone. This was how they all should have handled it. No matter what, they should be able to be proud and show off who their relative was even though it was unclear whether he was dead or was still alive somewhere._

 _Then suddenly as the laughter died down, there was a firm rasp of a knock on their front door. That was when Cornelia noticed the mood change. Her parents' smiles faded, and they looked at each other nervously. Cornelia had heard about moments such as these so many times before from motion pictures and from people who have had relatives fighting overseas. The knock on the door everyone feared. But who was to say that this was that instead of it being a neighbour wanting to borrow something?_

" _I'll get it." David said then, solemnly getting out of his seat, with hesitant steps stepping out of the kitchen and into the hallway._

 _Mother and daughter nearly stopped breathing at the anxiousness they felt when they heard the door being opened and David speaking, "Yes?"_

 _Cornelia couldn't hear what was being said next, nor did David reveal anything by his actions. She guessed that it was somewhat positive, but she didn't dare hope, afraid she would jinx it._

 _Several minutes went by before mother and daughter heard David close the door. Cornelia felt the chills rise upon her skin as she heard her father's foot steps approach again. The teen was ready for the worst, but when her father entered the kitchen and was smiling so widely, Cornelia felt hope rise inside her along with confusion._

" _David?" Clarissa asked confusedly. She too was confused by her husband's smile._

" _He's alive, honey." David's voice was almost a whisper, as if he spoke too loud something would change. "Andrew's alive."_

 _Cornelia's heart nearly stopped beating._

" _What?" her mother asked, tears of joy running freely down her cheeks._

 _David then grabbed his wife's hand and then his daughter's, his smile radiating so brightly. "They've brought him to a military hospital in Southampton, close to where he was stationed before he went overseas."_

For once, Cornelia was shook awake with a smile on her face as the Dawn Treader was tossed around by the storm. She looked over at the bed beside her and saw that Lucy lay beside Gael once again and slept peacefully. It was still fairly dark outside and she had after all gone to bed early, the thunder still interrupting the peace and quiet, so Cornelia put her head on her pillow again and surrendered herself to sleep once again.

 _Cornelia found herself surrounded by her parents as they were standing in front of the guarded entrance. It turned out, not only was the military hospital close to where Andrew had been stationed before heading overseas – it was inside where Andrew had been stationed. There were still a lot of activity in – and around the military camp as Cornelia and her parents were being searched and afterwards led into the military camp and further on to the hospital. They hadn't been told much about Andrew's condition, so all three of them figured and hoped that he was okay. The corporal that had accompanied them from the entrance quickly found the doctor-in-charge for them and left them with a 'good day'._

" _How is he, doctor?" David had asked when they were alone with the doctor. The doctor was a middle-aged war veteran, who seemed to look older than he was. But he had kind eyes, which was the most important thing to Cornelia._

 _The doctor sighed before looking at her parents. "He's doing well considering he has been missing for five years. He hasn't had any violent or overly-emotional reactions so far, but he shows signs of PTSD, so even though you're family I would still be cautious."_

" _Five years is a long time." Clarissa said softly, her eyes lightly watering._

 _The doctor nodded in acknowledgement, "It is, ma'am."_

 _Then the doctor looked at Cornelia with a glimpse in his eye before holding something all too familiar up._

 _The mockingbird._

" _But something tells me he's had something and someone very important to hold onto."_

 _The doctor gently held out the figure on a chain out for Cornelia to claim, which she did gingerly. Andrew had done just like he said he would._

 _Cornelia's heart warmed and swelled. This was really happening. He was here. He was home._

 _As the doctor turned to lead them to the room Andrew was in, Cornelia heard a strange hissing she couldn't quite locate. But that was soon forgotten as she realized that she was going to see Andrew again. Her Andrew._

 _Before Cornelia knew, they had stopped and were standing in front of a door that had a small window on the upper part of it._

" _I will be staying with you during the visit. It's merely protocol, you'll barely notice I'm there." The doctor said gently. Cornelia's parents nodded their consent and then the doctor opened the door. The little family followed._

 _When Cornelia first lay eyes on Andrew, she felt a whirlwind of emotions rushing on and on inside her. She didn't quite know what to think, feel, say if it came to that. Andrew was lying in a hospital bed with what Cornelia knew to be an IV attached to him along with a couple of other tubes, monitoring his condition closely. Cornelia felt a sense of panic seeing her older brother lying there again in a hospital bed with all sorts of things attached to him, but this time it was different._

 _Andrew's eyes had been closed when they had entered the room as if he was asleep, but he must have awoken by the sound of the door opening and closing along with the doctor's gentle voice being carried across the room._

" _Oh my baby.." Cornelia's mother said quietly, her voice cracking as her eyes filled with tears._

" _Mum, Dad, Cor..is that you guys?"_

 _Cornelia's heart started racing by her brother's voice. It was raspier than she remembered, but it was the same accent, the same everything else. It was Andrew. Her Andrew._

" _Andrew.." The aspect of saying Andrew's name out loud felt almost foreign and strange to Cornelia's tongue at first, but she got over the hesitation quickly and dashed across the room, saying his name a bit louder, "Andrew!"_

 _Cornelia had been in a rush to reach Andrew's hospital bed, but stopped abruptly when she reached it before she gently wrapped her arms around older brother's middle as far as she could reach, placing her head on his chest, promptly hearing a steady rhythm of his heartbeat._

 _It wasn't long until she felt a pair of stronger, much stronger arms wrap around her form, pressing her otherwise deeper towards him._

" _Cornelia.." Cornelia then felt Andrew put a hand on the back of her head, flattening her hair before Cornelia felt him press a soft kiss on it._

" _I missed you..." Cornelia whispered, sniffing a couple of times as she let the tears run freely down her cheeks._

 _Cornelia heard and felt a deep rumble with her ear against his chest as Andrew said, "I missed you too, squirt. So much."_

 _Andrew kept carressing his sister's head when he suddenly exclaimed, "Mum, Dad."_

" _My boy.." Cornelia heard David say with unconditional love and pride in his voice._

" _Sweetheart..." Clarissa exclaimed silently._

" _Don't cry, Mum. I'm okay." Andrew assured their mother before giving his sister's hair a soft pull. "We're okay."_

" _How are we doing today, Mr. Pevensie?" the doctor questioned softly from behind the little family._

" _Doing great, doc. Especially -."_

 _Then a lot of things happened at once. There was a screeching sound followed by a sound of a tire exploding outside. Cornelia was too distracted by the events going on outside that she didn't notice Andrew stiffening. In fact, she didn't get to react before it was too late. All, she knew was that she had gone from hugging her brother tightly, to hearing the most terrifying animalistic scream coming from her brother's vocal cords and being hit in the face with such a force that Cornelia landed with a thump almost by the doctor's feet. Cornelia's entire body and particularly her face was throbbing as she tried to distinguish what was happening before her. Her parents had rushed to her side and was staring just as shell-shocked at their son as Cornelia was staring at her older brother. The doctor was cursing and quickly rushed to restrain Andrew, who was lashing out violently while shouting._

" _I need help in here! Code blue, room 2622," the doctor ordered into a walkie-talkie before he focused on calming Andrew down once more._

 _Cornelia had tears starting to roll down her face as she stared at the pure pain and anguish Andrew was in. And there was nothing she could do to stop it. He had hit her, lashed out at her like she was someone who wanted to harm him. She had just missed him so much – she suddenly wished they had never come._

 _Her parents were crying while they were trying to soothe Cornelia, but their words fell deaf of Cornelia's ear, who couldn't stop watching her writhing brother._

" _Andrew, listen to me." The doctor suddenly said in a much more soothing voice as guards rushed into the room and began restraining Andrew. "You're home, son. You're safe. No one is here to harm you. Your family is here with you."_

 _A nurse had managed to give Andrew something calming for his body as the lashing out became less and less violent, for in the end to cease altogether, the only noise you could hear was the beeping from the vital machine and Andrew's heaves for air._

" _Cornelia, I'm so sorry…" Andrew croaked, "Mum, Dad, please.."_

 _Cornelia met her brother's desperate and tear-filled eyes, but she couldn't shake the experience she had just had. She suddenly couldn't recognize the man in front of her. This wasn't her brother. It couldn't be._

" _Lia, please." Andrew begged her with pleading eyes, slowly stretching his fingers out towards her._

 _Cornelia didn't think when she did it, but she took a step backwards into her parents' embrace automatically. The following look Andrew sent her made her feel like the worst person in the world, but her heart was broken too._

" _So sorry.." Andrew then cried loudly before he with heavy sobs curled himself into a fetal position._

" _Get the family out of here, and get a nurse to check the sister for injuries." The doctor ordered the guards quietly, eyeing them and especially Cornelia with the saddest look._

 _Cornelia had to be dragged to the door by her dad. Something inside her told her not to turn around, but when she finally did, it was as if something sharp tore through her chest. She let out a heavy sob the same time Andrew did from his bed._

 _She didn't notice visually that when she had stepped over the threshold to the room, the bond that had connected the two of them since her birth was ripped apart. But she felt it. And she screamed._

" _Corne-."_

"—lia!"

Cornelia merely felt she was being shook awake before she sat up in bed, panting heavily with tears rolling down her face. She couldn't focus on where she was, thinking she was still inside the dream, until she felt a gentle one-hand-hold on her each of her arms and was looking into a pair of deep, brown eyes she knew well. Caspian.

"Hey, it's okay." Caspian soothed her softly. "You're safe, Cor. You were thrashing around quite a bit, so Lucy got a bit worried about you and went to find me."

"Andrew.." Cornelia panted, "I dreamed…he was alive….but he wasn't the same…lashed out…couldn't recognize him…I can't…"

"Hey," Caspian said softly, trying to regain Cornelia's attention again, as her eyes had started to flash around.

"Hey," the young King said a bit sterner before taking ahold of Cornelia's face, softly removing some loose locks away from her face. "It's okay, sweetheart. It was just a dream."

"But it seemed so real." Cornelia croaked, only now noticing how Gael and Lucy were watching them worriedly from the other bed, the former clutching herself to Lucy's side as if she was scared of Cornelia.

Caspian forced Cornelia to look at him again. The Telmarine softly shook his head before sending her a soft and sympathetic smile. "It's the mist that is playing with our minds, Cor. None of what you've seen is real. I promise."

Although somewhat soothed by Caspian's words, the realization that she was indeed on board the Dawn Treader, and the fact that her heart rate had gone down, Cornelia suddenly started shivering.

Caspian frowned worriedly before he swiftly grabbed a duvet and motioned to Cornelia to come with him, "Come on. Let's go grab something warm to drink, yes?"

The teen automatically stepped out of the bed and into Caspian's awaiting warm embrace. Cornelia managed to mutter 'so sorry' towards Lucy and Gael before Caspian led her out of the cabin – the same words that sounded hauntingly like an echo from her nightmare, only this time, it was her saying sorry.


	11. Chapter Ten

_Hello again!  
I really hope that this chapter can make up for the wait. The semester's almost over and a couple exams are waiting. My last exam is on January 14, which means that after this, I have a good amount of free time before the next semester starts in February - hopefully, I'll be able to update more by that time. I can also reveal that after I've finished this fanfiction, my focus will solely lie on my little MCU franchise I've prepared for and has started already with Storm Warning. It's my muse right now, and I'd really like to get it out there, see what people think. Anyhow, I hope you'll enjoy this chapter._

* * *

 **Goldenflower 3: The Last Return**

 **Chapter Ten**

* * *

"Tristane, I swear I don't know what I'll do if I hear you ask if I'm all right again!" Lucy's exclamation sounded on the entire ship the next day by noon.

Cornelia shared a look with Edmund and grimaced all the while the two relatives couldn't help smirking as they stood and watched the Dawn Treader slowly approach yet another unknown island. The storm had cleared completely during the night, leaving them with fresh air, with a pleasant amount of wind and a clear blue sky with few clouds.

Then, Tristane stomped past them, with Caspian coming from the other direction. They just managed to hear Tristane huff, "Girls…"

Caspian had also heard Tristane's remark and looked confused, yet amusedly at the teenager's retreating back.

"What was that all about?" he questioned Edmund and Cornelia.

Cornelia giggled, "Tristane just doesn't understand girls."

"Who does?" interjected Edmund before he elaborated, "Tristane accidently hit Lucy in the face while they practiced their sword fighting this morning, and while Lucy has let it go, Tristane thinks he has just committed a crime."

There was a glint in Caspian's eye, "Oh, really. Well, I thought Lucy won?"

"I heard that!" sounded Tristane's voice as he stalked past them again, sending them a moody grimace. "And she didn't!"

This caused the three on-lookers to laugh. Caspian was the first to recover, and he looked towards the island they were approaching.

"Well, I guess this place is as good as any," he muttered before his voice rose. "Tavros, prepare the boats!"

"Yes, Your Majesty!" growled the enormous minotaur back.

"Now, which one of you is going to get Eustace out of his hammock?" Caspian questioned the two teens in front of him with a humorous look.

Edmund and Cornelia looked at each other and briefly came to the same conclusion as they called, "Lucy!"

"Are you sure you're not twins?" Caspian questioned with an amused, raised eyebrow.

"Yes, I'm older." Edmund replied confidently.

Cornelia snorted, "But not smarter."

"Hey!"

Cornelia's melodious laughter was carried around by the wind.

 **|G|**

"I doubt the lords stopped here, my liege." Reepicheep chirped from the front of the opposite longboat as they were slowly approaching the unknown island.

Cornelia let the waves relax her entire being. The experience with the slave traders and now with Coriakin had been an eye-opener. She was elated being back in Narnia; she felt as if she was home, but every time she went back it seemed as if the dangers they were facing became more dangerous. But then she also realized how far they had come each and every one of them. And with that she also realized how empty Narnia felt at the same time without Peter and Susan in it. The three youngest and Eustace were left, and they had to stick together, and they had their older relatives' legacy to live up to. They each had new roles to fulfil.

She wondered what Andrew would have thought of Narnia had he been there with them.

"There's no sign of anything living." The noble mouse continued.

"Right," Caspian replied, "Well, once we get ashore, take your men and search for food and water". The four of us will look for clues."

"Hang on," Eustace intercepted in disbelief. "You mean the five of us."

Cornelia looked to her cousins' cousin with a dumbfounded look while the rest of the boat had turned to look at Eustace in a disbelieving manner. She could guess what Caspian or Edmund's face must have looked like.

"Come on," Eustace continued pleadingly, "Please don't send me back to the rat."

"I heard that." Reepicheep drawled dryly from the other boat.

Eustace glanced in the mouse's direction before turning away, muttering something unclear to Cornelia's ears.

"I heard that too." Reepicheep replied in a semi-offended tone of voice.

The members of the boat in which Cornelia was situated all looked at each other, sharing similar grins and chortled at the mouse's reply, all the while Eustace looked moodier by the minute.

Once ashore, Reepicheep's boat with most of the crew and Tristane began unloading whatever they had brought with them. They had gone ashore on a part of the beach which were in between two cliff sides. The beach itself was very flat and besides from the beginning of the shore, it was free of loose stones as well.

Cornelia had begun looking around as she noticed that she hadn't seen Eustace since they all began pulling the boats out of the water. An uneasy feeling started to settle in her stomach, but she was also at the same time tired of worrying about Eustace wandering off all the time. It wasn't in his nature to be all that curious, especially here in Narnia, so she decided to shrug it off for the time being. He would appear soon enough when he got bored with hiding from them.

"Cornelia, let's go." Caspian called.

Cornelia promptly nodded before she took a quick look at her weapons. She wasn't going to battle; it was only a search, but she felt unprepared if she didn't bring her weapons. But they would at the same time weigh her down if she brought everything. So she decided to bring her quiver and bow along with her twin daggers to bring some variety to their group as Lucy, Edmund and Caspian all carried swords. By then, she approached her cousins and brother figure. They were about to leave when Tristane's defeated movements caught her eye. She felt bad for him.

Tristane had proven himself more than once before, so Caspian's protectiveness of him seemed a little odd, but then again she had also noticed how much alike the two acted like brothers. They must have gotten pretty close since Cornelia and her cousins left Narnia.

"Caspian." Cornelia said quietly.

Caspian, who had heard her, turned to look at her with a soft, questioning look.

Cornelia then motioned to Tristane's figure with her eyes. Caspian followed her movements, and a second of doubt filled his eyes, but then seemed to remember and understand how left out Tristane must have been feeling.

"Tristane." Caspian called loudly.

The teenage boy looked up to where he had heard his name being called.

Caspian smiled, motioning with his head. "Are you coming?"

Tristane stiffened for a second or two before his face lit up into a wide smile before he rather clumsily began to rummage around to find the weapons given to him. Cornelia looked up at Caspian as he had placed a hand on her shoulder. He sent her a soft smile before giving her shoulder a squeeze as he walked past her and towards her cousins who were waiting on them. Cornelia stayed and waited for Tristane to catch up.

The smile he sent her as he joined her by her side was worth it all, and was sending a strange, yet pleasant warmth and tingle through her entire body.

 _ **|G|**_

"Look, we're not the first ones on this island." Caspian said as they had been walking for some time. Cornelia could feel that the air was thinner as they were walking up and down several cliffs in the bare wasteland. It had also begun to become windy and they too had found out that the island was like a volcano island. Sometimes, fog or hot air would shoot up from the smallest crack in the earth.

"The lords." Edmund concluded as they too saw what Caspian had seen. A rope had been tightly bound around a cliff consolidation popping up from the ground. The rope led down through a slim hole in the ground.

"Could be," Caspian replied as he looked down into the deep hole. As the rest of them joined his side, the Narnian king picked up a stone and let it fall into the deep underground. The stone hit the edges of the hole a couple of times before it hit the bottom a couple of seconds later.

"What do you think could be down there?" Caspian questioned.

"Let's find out." Edmund replied neutrally before he began testing the rope.

"Be careful, Ed." Cornelia warned softly as her cousin began lowering himself down with the rope.

"Always am, Cor." Was Edmund's prompt reply.

Cornelia snorted before she said determinedly, "I'll go next."

After Cornelia had lowered herself down, Edmund having a protective hand on her back at the end where she didn't have much support from the cliffs, Caspian, Lucy and Tristane lowered themselves down respectively.

They were now situated in an underground-looking cave where the air made noises sound loudly throughout the tunnels. The five of them walked closely together and were alert at every sound the cave made around them.

Suddenly, Edmund stopped in front of the others. As they approached him, they came across a strange sight in the middle of the cave. A large pond of water appeared to their left, a misty fog floating above it.

"What's that?" Caspian questioned, motioning to something that looked like a statue in the water, a golden statue.

"I don't know." Edmund replied as they lined up next to each other a little way from the edge of the pond. "Looks like some sort of gold statue."

Cornelia and Lucy crouched down to get a better look while Tristane grabbed a branch from the wall of the cave and gave it to Edmund who too crouched down and put the tip of the branch into the water, slowly lowering it down.

The instant the tip hit the water, the branch's bark began transforming into gold. Edmund began to lift it, but Cornelia saw the danger as the bark kept transforming, but Tristane spoke up first, "Edmund, let go!"

Tristane had only just said it when Edmund let the branch fall with a cry, while trying to maintain his balance. It had become too heavy for him.

Cornelia looked just as shocked at the pond as the others, but when something flashy started annoying her eyesight from the pond, Cornelia took a closer look. Then she noticed something she recognized from Caspian's drawings of the lords and she instantly felt sick to her stomach.

Caspian walked closer to where Cornelia crouched down. "He must have fallen in."

"Poor man." Lucy commented softly.

"You mean, 'poor lord'." Edmund corrected, motioning to the shield resting beside the statue – the man – in the pond.

"The crest of Lord Restimar." Caspian and Cornelia said in unison.

"And his sword." Edmund pointed.

"We need it." Caspian spoke.

And then Cornelia suddenly started feeling the cold seeping in, and she couldn't quite shake it off. She looked around suspiciously while Edmund unsheathed his sword.

"Be careful." Lucy spoke. Tristane took a gentle hold of the straps in Edmund's clothing while the older Pevensie slowly put Lord Bern's sword into the water, fishing up the sword without the sword turning into gold.

" _Of course, it's a magical sword."_ Cornelia deadpanned in her thoughts.

"Your sword hasn't turned to gold." Lucy commented in wonder.

"Both swords are magical." Caspian replied while too keeping a hold upon Edmund.

"Here." Edmund handed the sword to Caspian who carefully grabbed the hilt of it.

Lucy gazed at the pond with a sad frown, "He must'nt have known what hit him."

"You can only hope." Cornelia replied softly.

The thought of the feeling Lord Restimar must have felt of being suffocated when his upper body turned to gold. She only prayed that he hadn't felt much pain.

"Maybe." Edmund said suddenly in a strange, lighter and dreamy voice. Cornelia frowned and looked properly at her cousin, who's eyes was dead set on Lord Restimar in the pond. Cornelia watched as Edmund lay down his sword, kneeling by the edge of the pond again.

"Or maybe he was onto something."

Edmund's strange voice made Cornelia's stomach twirl uneasily. Cornelia felt a hand on her shoulder. As she turned her head, she realized it was Tristane, who whispered in her ear, "Something's not right."

Cornelia could only nod in agreement.

Caspian, who clearly had detected that something was wrong as well, looked to Cornelia and Tristane before he lowered the sword he had been given as he asked Edmund, "What are you talking about?"

Edmund then grabbed a seashell, put it into the water and quickly pulled it up and released it onto the ground as it transformed into gold.

Edmund's breathing was somewhat uneven, quicker as he grabbed the golden sea shell and looked at it in fascination. What was happening?

"What are you staring at?" Lucy questioned in a questioning tone, looking eerily at her older brother's antics.

"Whoever has access to this pool…could be the most powerful person in the world."

Cornelia looked to Lucy, who sent her a slightly frightened look, and Cornelia looked at Caspian, who sent her an alarming look.

"Lucy, we'd be so rich." Edmund spoke to his relatives with hope in his voice. "No one could tell us what to do… or who to live with."

"Ed..something's not right." Cornelia spoke carefully, trying to reason with her cousin. Edmund turned to look at his cousin. "Not right? Cor, with all this we could go wherever we had to, in order to find out what has happened to Andrew. That's what's right."

Cornelia looked to Caspian, who's eyes was carefully watching his brother figure's movements. "You can't take anything out of Narnia, Edmund." He spoke.

"Says who?" Edmund scoffed.

Cornelia met Caspian's gaze. She could see what he was about to say and she silently shook her head, telling him not to. Caspian hesitated, the regret obvious in his eyes right before he determinedly said, "I do."

Edmund's head slowly turned, his eyes darkening dangerously as he stared at Caspian before he with another look at the pond grabbed the sword and stood up, slowly approaching them.

"I'm not your subject." Edmund addressed Caspian. "Cornelia's not your subject. Who are you to deny her from finding out what's happened to her brother – our family. But I'd bet you've enjoyed replacing Andrew."

Cornelia's eyes widened as she slowly felt the fear come creeping as she eyed two of the persons she held most dear, and whom never had had a serious fight before, suddenly standing opposite each other; each having a sword in their hand while glaring daggers at each other.

Caspian scoffed, his eyes darkening as he smirked sarcastically, "You've been waiting for this, haven't you? To challenge me? You doubt my leadership?"

"You doubt yourself." Edmund spat back. "I'm sure you've loved the adoration coming from my cousin."

"You're a child!" Caspian replied, as the two of them walked closer and closer.

"And you're a spineless sap!"

"Edmund." Lucy walked forward to try to get Edmund to snap out of whatever this was, but he simply shrugged her off.

"I'm tired of playing second fiddle." Edmund said in Caspian's face. "First it was Peter and now it's you!"

Cornelia watched Caspian fight to hold back, the anger at the both of them beginning to build up.

"Edmund, stop it!" She snapped.

"You know I'm braver than both of you." Edmund continued, causing Caspian to smirk scornfully. "Why do you get Peter's sword? I deserve a kingdom of my own. I deserve to rule!"

And there it was. Cornelia's world stiffened as she felt cold sweat overtake her. Their adventures in Narnia replayed inside her head. Edmund's betrayal and spitefulness of Peter. He was jealous, felt overlooked. He was the middle child. Of course. And then Coriakin's words entered her mind. Temptation. They were being tempted. And right now, unexpressed feelings were slowly tearing Edmund and Caspian apart.

"If you think you're so brave," Caspian spoke, Cornelia not able to recover to prevent what happened next, "Prove it!"

Caspian shoved Edmund who, in turn, let out a battle cry and swung. The sound of metal brought Cornelia out of her trance. Tristane had pulled both her and Lucy back, so they wouldn't be hit.

Watching two people she loved raise their swords against each other was too much for Cornelia too handle. She was normally the best one out of them to handle conflict, but at this time, she simply stood, frozen, with her feet firmly planted on the ground, unable to move a muscle. The only thing she could feel was a lone tear rolling down her cheek.

"No!" Edmund and Caspian had just put themselves into defensive positions, their swords half-raised at their sides when Lucy stepped in between the two of them, halting their movements instantly. And the darkness from their eyes and their tense forms disappeared as a furious-looking Lucy was glancing at them repeatedly.

Tristane stood, with an arm wrapped around Cornelia's shoulder, and stared utter confused and disappointedly at the two males that were like brothers to him.

"Stop it!" Lucy shrilled, looking sternly at Edmund before turning to Caspian. "Both of you."

"Look at yourselves." Lucy continued before motioning to Tristane and especially Cornelia, speaking in a softer voice. "Look at what you've done."

Cornelia felt their gazes upon her. Instead, she stared firmly at what they now knew was a bewitched pond. The temptation, the mist. It had gotten to them, again. Sadness rolled over her. She hated feeling vulnerable, but worst of all, she hated showing it. A couple of more tears streamed down her face.

From Edmund and Caspian's point of view, Lucy's and then Cornelia's distress was what finally made them snap out of whatever they had been doing. Watching Lucy trying to reason with them desperately and then seeing Cornelia cry were both scenarios that haunted their minds.

"Can't you see what's happening?" Lucy questioned them. "This place has tempted you. It's bewitching you. This is exactly what Coriakin was talking about."

Edmund had lowered his sword and was now looking down at the golden sea shell in his hand in disbelief. The guilt and the shame that suddenly came over him was indescribable.

"Let's just get out of here." Lucy finished disappointedly, sending the both of them a look before marching out.

The look woke up another feeling of heartbreak in Caspian. Lucy was so alike her sister in that way. Her disappointed gaze made him want to dig a hole into the ground and bury himself in it.

Both Edmund and Caspian then looked to Tristane and Cornelia. It wasn't long before Cornelia wiped the remaining tear stains off her face before slowly facing her two brother figures. The heaviness and sadness in her heart was something she couldn't describe. She wasn't disappointed. She was just sad.

"You're like brothers." Cornelia said softly, looking at them both, new tears waiting anew behind her eyes. "How could either of you even think of harming one another? Bewitched or not."

Cornelia's words hit the three males just as hard.

Both Edmund and Caspian opened their mouths to say something, but it was like they couldn't breathe. The chill they felt, when Cornelia merely shook her head softly at them before she slowly followed Lucy, merely spoke volumes about how deeply affected they could see Cornelia was from this. And it was all their fault.

The last hit they received was from Tristane, who merely snorted disappointedly at them. "Nice one, guys. Really nice."

Left standing was Edmund and Caspian, who then eyed each other with disbelieving and ashamed gazes. Caspian was the first to turn his back. He was ashamed himself and he knew that Edmund had been just as bewitched as he had been, yet the words from him, who Caspian viewed as a younger brother, stung more than anything else.

As Caspian walked away, Edmund looked down at sea shell in his hand. He had never felt more ashamed or more alone than at this exact moment. What had he been thinking? Yet, all those feelings hadn't appeared out of thin air. It was small stints of feelings that had been suppressed for a very long time. He was disappointed in himself. He ought to be stronger than this. He was definitely not living up to his title as the Just king of Narnia. Nothing about what he had said to Caspian had been justified or fair.

Looking at the pond and the sea shell once more, recognizing the feelings he had had over this as being a regretful part of him, Edmund tried to remember what he learned during their fifteen-year-old reign as an adult. Here, Peter's words came into mind, _"If you want to be a man and be viewed as such, you have to earn up to who you want to be and face the consequences of your actions, Ed."_

So, he did. He looked at the pond and the sea shell once again, being at peace with the part of him that didn't want to let it go. But he did, as it was what was required of him. In disgust, he threw the sea shell into the water and followed his companions out of the cave, ignoring the fizzle from the water as another temptation had tested them, and they had passed, but only just.

 _ **|G|**_

Cornelia had felt Caspian and Edmund's gazes upon her the entire way back, but she had kept her distance, not exactly being in the mood to talk about what had occurred a short while earlier. When they reached the others back on the beach, they were still unloading and sorting through whatever they had beforehand and what they'd found – which wasn't much. And, Cornelia noticed, there was no sign of Eustace.

"What food did you find?" Caspian questioned as they walked up to their remaining crew.

Rhince knelt by their baskets where they held the different proviant. "It's volcanic, Your Majesty. Not much grows."

"Where's Eustace?" Lucy questioned, looking around.

Cornelia bit her lip. She had failed again. She should have spoken up about his disappearance before they left. She felt Caspian's gaze upon her, and when she finally dared to face him, he sent her a small comforting smile.

"I believe he's out, not helping us load the boats." Reepicheep chirped.

"He was not here when we left either. I thought like Reep that he was just hiding from helping out again, but now…" Cornelia spoke guiltily.

At Cornelia's remark, Lucy started calling. "Eustace!"

"Eustace!" Cornelia called as well.

Lucy turned to look at Edmund worriedly, "Edmund, I've got a bad feeling."

Edmund's eyes softened at his little sister's distress, so he sighed and said, "I'll go find him."

"I'll come with you." Caspian said softly, stopping Edmund in his tracks.

Edmund turned, glanced at Edmund before he nodded softly. Caspian handed

Lord Restimar's sword to Lucy, and as the two of them were about to leave, Cornelia stopped them.

"I'm going with you." Cornelia spoke up, putting down her weapons this time around all except for her daggers.

"You shouldn't -."

"But I am." Cornelia interrupted, silencing Caspian with a glare. "I've lived this life for a long time, Caspian. Let me do what I'm supposed to do."

Cornelia hesitated before she let her next remark slip, "Besides, I'm not just going to let you two wander off alone. What if you become bewitched again?"

Both Edmund and Caspian paled and looked as if they had been slapped in the face.

"She's right." Lucy agreed. "I'll stay here with Tristane."

"Cornelia." Tristane pleaded.

Cornelia recognized the feel of protectiveness radiating from Tristane then, and no matter how much Cornelia appreciated Tristane's gesture, she knew she had to go with them alone. If she wasn't able to, then she might as well call upon Aslan and ask him to rid her of her powers as the Goldenflower. She wasn't deserving of it then.

"Tristane, please stay. Look after the others for me?" Cornelia asked, her eyes saying it all; she was touched, but she wanted to know that there was someone she trusted with her life to look after Lucy, and whom would save her should it become necessary, just like Tristane had saved Cornelia the last time they were in Narnia.

She could tell Tristane fought against his stubbornness and won when he sent her a small but accepting nod.

Then Cornelia wandered off with Edmund and Caspian, hopefully to find Eustace and _then_ prevent Edmund and Caspian from killing the boy for wandering off.

Cornelia reckoned they had been walking for about 15 minutes, calling Eustace's name. And within those 15 minutes, Cornelia had also noticed the tactical formation she found herself in – Caspian in front of her and Edmund behind her. She had yet to utter another word to them than the remarks she had spoken to them back there with the others. She had noticed the nervous looks they had sent her, but she had ignored them. The task at hand right now was to find Eustace.

"Eustace!" Caspian called.

"Eustace!" Edmund echoed.

Then they came upon another opening to their right, and the sight of what the small valley below them contained made Cornelia stop up abruptly. And Edmund nearly bumped into her at the sight beside them.

"Treasure." Edmund said. The vibration of his voice was calm, but Cornelia could sense a nervous stint in her cousin's voice. Cornelia felt the nervousness come creeping as well. The both of them knew that Eustace had a weakness for everything that looked to be worth a lot of money.

"Oh no." Cornelia chirped, knowing from the knowledge of general fairytales what or who a huge hoard of treasure normally would belong to.

Caspian looked to the two relatives and commented, "Trouble."

Both Edmund and Cornelia looked to Caspian before all their gazes turned back to the treasure. They were eyeing it wearily – all until Edmund stiffened as he eyed something specific.

"Oh no." He mirrored his cousin's expression, before he started looking for a stable way to go down to the treasure.

"Edmund, what are you doing?" Cornelia asked suspiciously.

"Look." Edmund replied and pointed, in a slight panic, as he finally found a way to go down. Cornelia looked in the direction her cousin had pointed, coming up empty at first, but as she turned to look questioningly at Caspian, something painfully familiar caught her eye. She immediately hurried after Edmund, her heart rate slowly increasing, so much that it quickly was thumping loudly in her ears.

Edmund took a few quick strides before he reached what the both of them had seen. She could hear Caspian following behind them. Once Edmund picked the item up and it was clear that it really was what it was, Cornelia's heart sank. Eustace's shoe, ruined some places as if it had been burned.

"Eustace." Edmund spoke in a shaken, sad voice.


	12. Chapter Eleven

Hey everyone! Again, I am so sorry about the long waits in between chapters, but university and studying takes up a lot of my time, and when it's not university it's either work or handball. I promise to do what I can, but I won't be able to promise any regular updates - at least not at this time. I hope you'll stay with me until the end nonetheless - I won't quit!

* I know there were two battles of Berune; the first between the Pevensies and Jadis, and the second between the Telmarines, the Pevensies and Caspian. In this case, it is of course the second battle that is referenced to.

* * *

 **Goldenflower 3: The Last Return**

 **Chapter Eleven:**

* * *

Cornelia felt numb to say the least. Eustace had been more than a pain in all of their behinds – a pain that had been challenging particularly both her and Edmund's sense of self-control more than once, but he was still family. She hadn't realized how nauseous she had been since they entered the valley until now where Edmund had picked up the remains of Eustace's shoe. Cornelia and Caspian had merely followed Edmund around as the teen wandered in a trance of grief and guilt, neither the Goldenflower nor the Telmarine turned Narnian king having said a word.

"No!"

Cornelia cringed at the agony in Edmund's voice when they found a smoking pile of Eustace's clothes and his notebook. Caspian and Cornelia knelt beside Edmund, Cornelia purposely so close to her cousin that she functioned as a supporting pillar to him.

"Oh, cousin." Edmund muttered to himself all the while looking sadly upon the stuff before them.

"Ed." Cornelia uttered sadly, all the while she stubbornly tried to blink the tears away, placing a hand on Edmund's shoulder.

In turn, Cornelia felt Caspian's hand give her arm a squeeze.

"I'm sorry." He said to the both of them in a similar sad manner.

"He was just a boy." Edmund spoke, looking sadly at the blasted notebook before his sad gaze wandered upwards. "I never should have left him."

"We are all just kids again, Edmund." Cornelia soothed him. "You didn't leave him. He wandered off by himself. It's no one's fault."

"What could have happened to him?" Edmund questioned next after having shared a look with Cornelia – a look that was both grateful but also stubborn with guilt.

Cornelia noticed Caspian's gaze wander behind them.

"What are you thinking?" Cornelia questioned their brother-figure softly.

"In this place? Anything." Caspian said and stood up, walking cautious – yet determinedly towards a skeleton where the clothes hadn't completely withered. "And he wasn't the first."

Having looked at the skeleton for a short while, Caspian concluded, "It's Lord Octesian."

Meanwhile, Cornelia had noticed a sword out of the blue, placed a little way from Caspian.

"We should find his…."

Cornelia stopped Caspian's comment as the king turned around and found that Cornelia already had found it.

"…sword." Caspian finished.

Cornelia unsheathed it and looked at the longsword with a mix between admiration and awe. She could see herself in a blurred version reflected in the sword's blade, when suddenly another strange feeling of nausea overwhelmed her.

She didn't notice the concerned and suspicious look Caspian sent her as she and Edmund passed him on their way out of there; nor did she notice the green smoke that was almost invisibly trailing her feet.

They hadn't walked for long before they heard a sound that sent shivers down Cornelia's spine. All of them stopped abruptly and looked at each other for confirmation that they had heard the same thing. A roar from a dragon.

The second roar caused them to run as they all thought the same thing. The rest of the crew. Lucy, Gael, Tristane on board the Dawn Treader.

Cornelia tried to follow Edmund in front as well as she could, but it became a middle stance thing as she also wanted to make sure she was close to Caspian, who fell a little behind suddenly. She was walking fast with her back turned towards Caspian when a powerful amount of wind suddenly emerged above her all the while she suddenly found herself being tackled to the ground by Caspian.

Cornelia barely registered what had just happened before she heard Caspian alarmingly call, "Edmund! Ed!"

She looked up abruptly, her eyes being filled with a golden color when she saw the dragon taking Edmund away. Somehow, she managed to shake Caspian off her, and without thinking was controlling the Goldenflower's powers in her hands.

She was about to send the golden energy towards the dragon, when she suddenly felt Caspian's arms lock her own, the power inside her immediately dissolving, although her eyes were still golden. "Cornelia, no! It might drop him."

Cornelia turned slowly towards Caspian after having made sure that the dragon wouldn't come back. Her heart rate was increasing; she was scared. What was he thinking to take ahold of her like that once she had surrendered herself to her powers? He could have gotten hurt.

Cornelia would have expected Caspian to flinch once she stared him down with her golden orbs, but he didn't. He didn't flinch for even a second – on the contrary, the warm, dark orbs of his were staring right back at her and into her soul.

Not being able to hold it back anymore, Edmund's abduction forgotten for just one second, Cornelia exploded, "What were you thinking? I could have hurt you!"

This seemed to surprise Caspian a little as he took a step back, but his gaze upon her didn't wither. Quite the opposite, instead of staring her down, his orbs had softened as he with a calm demeanor replied, "But I knew you wouldn't."

"How?" The teen inquired, just a taste of her stubbornness emerging. She didn't know where this moment of self-loathing came from. She guessed it was a bit of everything she had experienced over the years. She knew it was silly, and she also knew the people who loved her, but she just couldn't help it.

Caspian let out what sounded like a snort, but then he saw the raw emotions in her eyes. His eyes softened as he slowly spread his arms, motioning for her to come closer, "Because I know you, Cor. Come here, squirt."

She didn't notice, as a flashback flashed before her eyes where a person spoke that exact same last sentence to her when she needed it the most, but she had automatically walked towards Caspian, who engulfed her in the warmest hug she had experienced yet.

"I've got you, okay? We've all got you. Embrace who you are instead of hiding it away." Caspian said into her ear before he with a last squeeze let her go, only to grab her hand, tugging her along. "Come on, let's go rescue Edmund from that dragon and find the others."

Cornelia let herself be dragged along, but not before she felt the nausea once more, and for a split second, her eyes flashed green.

Before long, they could hear Lucy call their names, "Cornelia! Caspian!"

"Lu!" Cornelia called.

They had come closer to the beach they had been at before, and before long, Lucy emerged from rounding a corner.

She panted as she spoke. "Edmund…The dragon….it's – it's Eustace."

Both Caspian and Cornelia stopped abruptly, gaping at Lucy before the two of them looked at each other with a bewildered look in their eyes. Then the relief that both Edmund and Eustace in reality were safe washed over them.

Caspian then looked at Lucy and asked softly, "Where?"

 **|G|**

Cornelia had tried many things, yet seeing a dragon up close without the danger of being eaten was a first, and probably also the last. And yet, Cornelia also wished to be as far away from Eustace right now as she could get. The nausea was getting worse, and it intensified every time she looked upon Eustace, who in turn would grunt and look at her with a panicking gaze, trying to communicate with some of the others, motioning his head towards Cornelia every time, but no one took any note of it. And Cornelia didn't realize what had him so geared up about her.

She was in the company of Edmund, Lucy, Caspian, Tristane, Tavros, Drinian, Reepicheep as well as Rhince and Gael, as they were trying to find out what had happened to Eustace – in fact, that was already cleared up; Eustace had gotten greedy with a dragon's treasure, which was never a good thing. Now, they were trying to find out what to do with him.

"He must have been tempted by the treasure." Edmund spoke, all the while Eustace fought, but to no avail, to get rid of the bracelet around his right…front foot?

"Anyone knows a dragon's treasure is enchanted." Caspian spoke up, only to receive a dirty glance from Eustace, who grunted. Cornelia would normally laugh at this, but she had oddly become extremely fascinated with Eustace in his dragon form. Then her ears started ringing, softly at first.

Caspian, having seen Eustace's reaction, elaborated, "Well, anyone from… here."

Then Lucy slowly approached Eustace, who to begin with backed away. She then held her arms out towards his right front foot, who he didn't rest on the ground because of the bracelet, and hesitantly he let her take hold of the bracelet and pull it off. This caused Eustace to roar in pain. Lucy grinned at him as she left his side.

"Is there any way to change him back?" Edmund asked Caspian.

"Not that I know of." Caspian replied, looking to Drinian, who looked to the ground, obviously not having a clue either.

This caused Eustace to stare at them all with wide eyes.

"Aunt Alberta will not be pleased." Edmund spoke, causing Eustace to glare in an insulted manner, stomping his foot into the ground.

"Sorry about the hand, old boy. I can be a little overzealous at times." Reepicheep apologized to Eustace, who in turn growled and looked at Reepicheep.

"The boats are ready, sire." Tavros growled as two of the crew members had arrived from the ship with two boats.

"We can't leave him alone." Lucy insisted.

"Well, we can't bring him on board, Your Majesty." Drinian replied calmly.

"Drinian, you and the others take one boat back." Caspian ordered, handing Lord Octesian's sword to Drinian, "The rest of us will stay here till morning…and work out what to do."

"But you've no provisions, and no means of staying warm, Your Majesty." Rhince protested.

Then Eustace suddenly opened his mouth and several flames shot out, lighting up a single log in the sand, causing everyone to take a step back.

"You were saying?" Reepicheep questioned smugly.

Lucy giggled. Meanwhile, Cornelia also smiled, which could have been interpreted as a reaction to Reepicheep's snarky remark, but it was merely a reaction to a wider fascination of Eustace, in a weird dream-like state, which Cornelia seemed to have no control of. Every once in a while, she would feel a pull, and then her own voice in her head telling her to snap out of it, but that was insane right? She was her own self, feeling this way.

 **|G|**

"I've missed them – and you." Caspian said to Edmund as the darkness had come upon them with full force. Several star constellations could be seen because of the clear sky. Lucy had fallen asleep right next to Edmund, who too was laying down, all the while Cornelia had fallen asleep with her head towards Caspian's left hand. He had lightly run his fingers through Cornelia's blonde locks several times, knowing this was a measure to calm her down. She had been awfully and almost concerningly quiet ever since they found out Eustace was the dragon.

"We've missed you too. We all have. I think Cornelia especially has, although from what I know she has seemed more at peace since we came home the last time." Edmund replied.

"She has grown so much," Caspian mused. "I mean, you all have. Lucy and Cornelia are almost all grown up now."

"I haven't noticed any boy troubles yet, so we're safe." Edmund quirked with a wry smile.

Caspian chuckled, "That's a relief."

But then he realized something, suddenly looking a little in front of them. "Yeah.."

"What?"

Caspian shook his head, and quickly looked at Edmund. "Nothing. My mind just wandered a little, is all."

"I've never seen these constellations before." Edmund spoke next, looking up at the stars.

"Me neither." Caspian replied. "We're a long way from home."

The flames danced like shadows across their faces and lit them up as Caspian continued speaking, all the while running his hand through Cornelia's hair as she had been stirring. "When I was a boy I used to imagine sailing to the end of the world…finding my father there."

Edmund looked up at Caspian with an uncertain look in his eyes. "Maybe you will."

Looking up at the stars again, it was almost as if they could see a familiar lion visualized in the stars.

 **|G|**

Cornelia's eyes shut right open. She couldn't explain it, but it was like a force had taken over her abilities to move. Her neck and back cracked as she sat up, disoriented as to where she was at first. It was pitch black, sometime in the middle of the night, she guessed. The fire was still burning, but with shorter flames and lesser power than earlier. She got hold of something feeling like fabric, and as she looked down and afterwards around, she realized that she had been moved. To her left, Lucy and Gael slept soundly still, yet she remember both Lucy and her falling asleep in the company of Edmund and Caspian who slept a meter or so from them. She felt as if her mind was being controlled causing her to view herself in a self-loathing manner again, with only certain happy memories trying to keep the balance. Suddenly, in flashes, she viewed last night again, hearing Edmund and Caspian's voices:

" _We'd better move them, or else we're going to have two cranky girls in the morning." She could hear the humor in Caspian's voice._

" _Or we'll have two cranky girls right now if we wake them up while moving them." Was Edmund's just as humorous retort._

" _What's worse?"_

" _Definitely in the morning." The both of them replied with a suppressed guffaw from the both of them afterwards. Cornelia unconsciously felt herself being hoisted into the air by a set of protective and safe pair of arms, the scent from the person seeming awfully familiar, smelling like home._

" _You've got her?" she heard Edmund ask._

" _Yeah. I've got her. We all do. I told her as much when you were taken. She's not alone in this world or any world."_

" _Amen to that."_

Yet the warmth from these unconscious memories she had absorbed last night, slowly started to fade as she suddenly felt cold, and that's when she put her eyes on Eustace. The relative – turned dragon was vaguely awake, watching his companions around him sleep soundly; everyone except for Cornelia.

Cornelia's subconsciousness could tell something was wrong when Eustace looked startled at her as she slowly approached. Eustace's sudden movement caused Reepicheep to stir. Cornelia wanted to go back to sleep, but she had no control. She had finally given in to her temptation of self-loathing and deepest dark wishes.

Eustace glanced warily at her and growled lightly in warning.

"What a truly magnificent creature you are." Cornelia spoke in a voice sounding hollow. She could feel the power of the Goldenflower awakening, mixing itself up with the mist, causing her eyes to glow green, while the rest of her glowed like she normally would as the Goldenflower.

The sudden sharp source of light along with Eustace's scattering away from Cornelia as she tried to touch him finally caused Reepicheep to open his eyes.

The noble mouse was startled at first, seeing Cornelia's appearance, but he soon gathered his wits and slowly stood up, placing himself admirably between Eustace and Cornelia.

"My lady," Reepicheep said calmly. "You're not yourself. Perhaps you should take a step back."

"But don't you see, Reep?" Cornelia argued, her voice reaching an octave higher, "Eustace could be so powerful with my magic, and I could be powerful because of him. No one would dare to look twice at me like I'm a freak anymore. No, it has to be fate."

"Cor?" Tristane's voice sounded from behind her. "What's going on here?"

"Oh, Tristane, wouldn't it be wonderful?" Cornelia turned to him excitedly.

"Cornelia," Tristane said softly, trying to reason with her. "It's the mist, it's tempting you. This isn't really what you want."

"And what would you know of that?" Cornelia snapped before turning her back on him. "You don't know me."

Tristane took a step closer, his eyes softening. "Oh, but I do. You're my best friend, Cor. You would never use your powers for your own beneficial needs in the end."

"I'm _not_." Cornelia snarled before her voice turned sweet as candy. "Eustace will have my power."

"He'll be your slave." Tristane countered, his voice hardening slightly.

"Stay out of it! You don't understand." Cornelia snapped, turned to see that more people had started to stir because of the commotion. She had to do this quickly. "No one does."

"Cornelia, step away from Eustace." Tristane demanded. " _Now._ "

Cornelia cackled in a way that sent shivers down Tristane's spine. She was definitely not herself.

"And if I don't?" She challenged him with a daring glare, before she turned around. She was so close to touching Eustace, whom had frozen completely, only being able to stare in fright as whatever was posing as Cornelia came closer and closer – until she was tackled to the ground by Tristane.

"Stay down." Tristane grunted as he fought the shell of his best friend. "Please don't make me hurt you."

"What's going on here?" Edmund demanded. He, Lucy, Caspian and their remaining companions had finally woken up and was now watching the scene before them unfold in shock.

"It's the mist. It's tempting her." Tristane grunted.

"Tristane." Caspian's voice cut through the commotion. Tristane looked to Caspian, who motioned for him to get off her as Caspian neared them. Tristane reluctantly did so, nearly being thrown to the ground once more as Cornelia stood up from the ground as soon as she felt Tristane's weight off of her. With a snarl at them all, she brushed the dirt off her clothes.

"Cornelia, snap out of it." Caspian told her not unkindly, but still in a demanding manner.

"There is nothing to snap out of, _King_ Caspian." Cornelia bit back.

Caspian's dark orbs suddenly glinted protectively, "Where is Cornelia?"

Again, Cornelia cackled in a way that sent shivers down everyone's spines. "I am Cornelia. She is just being…helped to bring forward all the self-loathing and her deepest thoughts and wishes. Why did you really think you didn't hear from her for nine months before you all went back to this god-awful place again? She _hated_ being overlooked. She would always be beneath you two and Peter and Susan despite of her powers – powers that would make her seem like a freak. Do you know how much she really would hate herself – she does already by the way, but the thought of losing one of you for some reason would destroy her altogether. What a waste of powers, really…"

Cornelia smirked at their shocked gazes. "Oh, she actually got you fooled quite good, didn't she? Oops."

"That's _not_ true." Lucy argued, her eyes glistening dangerously. "She was mourning for her brother. We all were and still are. Cornelia knows how much we love her and how much we would do for her, and we know how much she loves us and how far she would go for us."

"Does she? Do you?" Cornelia questioned with a smirk.

"Quit the games." Caspian demanded.

Cornelia's eyes narrowed to Caspian, who stood his ground.

"Oh." Cornelia laughed. "I almost forgot. The Telmarine turned Narnian king. I can sense such a fondness of you inside her, inside _me._ And I see the feeling's mutual in your eyes. Trying to replace Andrew in her heart, are we?"

"I would never." Caspian snapped, losing his cool. "And I never could. The bond she shares with Andrew can never be severed."

Cornelia tilted her head curiously, mirth in her eyes. "Can't it?"

"What did you do?" Edmund questioned dangerously, his hand on the hilt of his sword.

She shrugged. "Wasn't that difficult. Cornelia has a vivid imagination of her own, I just had to place a couple puzzle pieces, and the rest sorted itself out."

"Cornelia." Caspian's voice softened, looking directly into the shell of Cornelia's eyes. He had sensed a couple of glints here and there, of the real Cornelia, fighting to get out. She was still in there. But she couldn't or would not break free. Caspian's heart sank. He had never thought and had rather hoped that he would not need the ace up his sleeve.

"Don't make me do this." He begged.

And for a moment, just a moment, which you could easily have missed if you had blinked at the wrong time. Those beautiful, stunningly blue eyes had returned.

But then the poisonous green ones stared back at him again. "Do your worst," she snarled.

Caspian then straightened himself, taking in a deep breath before he demanded, "Goldenflower, I command you to snap out of it."

A couple of seconds went by where nothing happened, where everyone just stared at Cornelia and Caspian. Then, Cornelia let out a maniacal laugh.

"Did you really think that was going to work?" She taunted.

Caspian frowned and then sought deep into his memories, trying to recollect his discoveries one day at the castle's library. He then looked down. His sword.

Caspian closed his eyes regretfully, letting out a sigh before he unsheathed his sword.

"Caspian?" Lucy questioned concernedly.

"Oooh, what do we have here?" Cornelia continued to taunt.

"Trust me on this one." Caspian said to no one in particular as he raised his sword flat up in front of him as a shield between him and Cornelia. He then looked straight into those green toxic eyes, all the while he with each word walked closer and closer to the person he viewed as his younger sister.

"Goldenflower, I, Caspian X of Narnia." Caspian started, with each word Cornelia suddenly started flinching, "command that you, as my servant…"

Cornelia let out a groan. Those steely green eyes looked up at him stubbornly, but he could see it was working.

"Stop this madness immediately and you'll fall into a peaceful sleep."

"No!" She shrilled, but Caspian kept going.

"And when you'll wake." His voice softened, "you'll have no recollection of what happened here tonight."

A sigh went through the air. The green left Cornelia's eyes, turning into mist again, which sizzled away. For one moment, Caspian, who was now so close to Cornelia that he could touch her, once again saw those baby blue orbs look at him in shock, but most importantly at all gratefulness. Then her eyes closed.

The final sound that sounded was the clatter of metal from Caspian's sword hitting the ground, and the slight grunt Caspian let out as he caught Cornelia from falling and hoisted her up in his arms.

Everyone stared in shock.

"What just happened?" Edmund finally questioned.

"What did you do?" Lucy asked concernedly, stepping closer to Caspian and Cornelia.

Caspian sighed regretfully. "I've read that a bond is created between the Goldenflower and the ruler he or she serves under. It hasn't been practiced for centuries, but I can practically make Cornelia do whatever I want if I wish to. I just hoped I'd never actually have to use it."

"So, she's like a robot?" Lucy asked with a frown.

Caspian frowned confusedly, "Probably?"

"How come we've never known of this?" Edmund questioned.

"Peter did." Caspian said softly, almost apologetically to Edmund with their previous fight in mind.

However, Edmund reached some familiarity immediately after hearing those words. "He clutched his chest when we couldn't find Cornelia at Beruna*."

"Wait a minute." Lucy said, before looking to Edmund in revelation. "The beavers told us this too, the first time we were in Narnia, when you and Cornelia were Jadis' captives."

"And the memory loss?" Tristane asked Caspian.

Caspian sighed but stood his ground on his decision, looking around at them all. "It's better this way. She wouldn't be able to forgive herself if she remembered this."

Caspian concluded this by glancing down at the girl in his arms affectionately, "Aslan knows she needs peace in her mind."


	13. Chapter Twelve

_Hello you guys! As I said in the previous update, this could take a while, but I'm currently having a bit of a break in my exams, so I saw it fit to put in an update before I go AWOL again for my last exams. June 28th will be the date of the my last exam the latest, and hopefully I won't have to do any re-exams in August, so that means that I have a summer vacation that runs from the 28th of June (the latest) to the 1st of September (sweet!) - that means work-out time, relaxation and writing-time!_  
 _I hope you'll enjoy this - we're slowly nearing the end :O_  
 _\- C._

* * *

 **Goldenflower 3: The Last Return**

 **Chapter Twelve**

* * *

"Everybody! Everybody, wake up!

Cornelia's eyes fluttered open first at Lucy's exclamations. Next, she groaned and nearly whimpered as she felt like she had been run over by one of those allied military trucks she had seen in the streets of Cambridge. And then the headache hit. What was happening to her?

"It's the Blue Star!"

Cornelia slowly sat up, yet not without hearing her limbs complaining because of her sudden movements. The sun was slowly rising in the east, lighting up the pretty sky filled with flat clouds and the enormous blue sea in front of them, the water still with no evident waves. And then she saw it in the horizon. To the south, the Blue Star was shining brightly like a second, small, blue sun. It was beautiful.

She looked around, seeing the others were watching the Blue Star as well. Drinian and Tavros had gone back to the ship sometime last night, the only crew member remaining being Rhince, who probably didn't want to leave Gael out of his sight – all the while Gael was nearly attached to Lucy's side.

Then Cornelia realized something. She didn't remember last night, like nearly at all. What –

"Are you all right?"

Cornelia looked up to see Edmund stand on her right side, holding a hand out towards her. Cornelia eyed first his outstretched hand and moved her gaze upwards to his face. She frowned at seeing the sudden concern in her cousin's eyes.

"Why, yes?" Cornelia answered, taking Edmund's outstretched hand, letting herself being pulled to her feet. She then looked Edmund in the eye and questioned confusedly, "Why wouldn't I be?"

Looking nervously back at Edmund's concerned gaze at her, Cornelia didn't realize that she at that moment later on would be facing one of the few situations that always ended with her becoming agitated: Edmund's protectiveness.

 _ **|G|**_

As they had come back to the ship, they had found that Drinian and the crew were already up. This meant that as soon as they had pulled the anchor up, they set the course following the Blue Star. Caspian, Lucy and Tristane were talking to each other when a shrill and frustrated voice they knew all too well cut through the air while making a statement that at the same time made the three companions cringe, all the while it also made them smile.

"Edmund, I swear I'll send your bottom back to Cair Paravel if you ask me whether I'm all right _one more time!_ "

The three friends snickered before becoming slight somber again.

"Lu, do you have any idea how she's holding up?" Caspian questioned concernedly.

Lucy sighed, "On that note, I'm not sure. I mean, besides from Edmund currently driving her insane, I guess. She's herself again at least, but I also think there's something bothering her. So if your real question was whether she is going to ask questions, then it's a big affirmative yes."

"I'll deal with it if and when that happens." Caspian nodded, his smile wavering. "It was me, who did this to her after all."

"Oh no, Caspian, I didn't mean it like that." Lucy tried to wave off any kind of blame, feeling guilty for having sounded as if she blamed Caspian for anything. "You did what was best for her, for all of us. You did the right thing with the resources you had."

"I just swore to myself that I would never try to control Cornelia if I could. Like my uncle would have done." Caspian replied, his continued fear of being unfit to rule continuing.

"You are nothing like your uncle." Tristane put a hand on Caspian's shoulder. "Trust us on this. You're a good king."

Caspian smiled gratefully, putting a hand on the younger boy's shoulder. "Thank you, brother."

Lucy smiled at the exchange between the two of them before she noticed Cornelia approaching them.

"Uhm, Caspian, do you mind showing me the additions to the weaponry you've talked so much about?" Lucy grabbed Caspian's arm, slightly pulling him along with her until Caspian caught on. He knew Tristane had developed something for Cornelia, and he also approved of it somewhat developing further, but at the same time he couldn't help but feel a pull of protectiveness towards Cornelia, especially when Edmund wasn't there.

"But." He lightly protested with a smile directed at Cornelia who stood by Tristane's side now.

" _Now_." Lucy's determined voice didn't leave any room for Caspian to object, so he reluctantly yet abidingly let himself being pulled along.

"What was that about?" Cornelia questioned Tristane curiously.

Tristane shrugged innocently. "Caspian has apparently added something to the weaponry that Lu was interested in."

"Oh." Cornelia breathed, accepting her friend's answer yet there was still a small doubt that stirred inside her.

Everything about this day had just been odd – and to say frustrating at the least.

"How have you been?" Tristane questioned suddenly in a bubbly manner.

"What question is that?" Cornelia asked with a small laugh – the absurdities obviously continuing for her.

"You know," Tristane shrugged, who caught a small glimpse of Drinian eyeing him in amusement, standing by the helm, viewable in the corner of Tristane's eyes, "Since you lot left and all."

Tristane's cheeks flared lightly the color of the current sunrise; a light pink when he saw Drinian shake his head at him with a smirk. It didn't make it better when Cornelia smirked and nudged his shoulder, "Still the same terrible conversation starter, I see."

Tristane rolled his eyes at her playful remark before she continued. "I've been… strangely good, though, to answer your question. I mean as good as you can be, going to St. Finbars with the dreadful bimbos around. Other than that, it's been good."

"What's bimbos?" Tristane asked confusedly.

"Nevermind." Cornelia deadpanned, mostly at herself.

"You've changed." Tristane stated.

"Gee, thanks." Cornelia replied sarcastically. "It's been what, three years?"

"In a good way, I mean." Tristane interjected, defending his statement. "I'm just glad we aren't back at the castle with the court."

"Why?" Cornelia questioned curiously.

Tristane shrugged, "What, with the all the sleazy lords we have coming, paying homage to Caspian. Obviously flirting with all the girls. It's annoying."

The next feeling, Cornelia couldn't quite describe. She was on one hand all giddy and excited, going into a youngster mode she remembered from when she was younger where she would tease all of her older relatives, but at the same time there was something that Cornelia couldn't quite put a finger on what was. Something that dimmed that glee just a little, like a small jab in the heart.

"Tristane," she spoke teasingly, "Are you jealous?"

"What?" Tristane questioned outraged, yet in a very light voice that had a tendency to crack whenever he wasn't quite telling the truth. "No."

" _Right._ " Cornelia deadpanned before smirking at her friend. "Who's the lucky girl?"

"What girl?" Tristane sputtered, slowly feeling himself falling into a hole he wouldn't be able to get out of until Cornelia was satisfied with his answer. He knew her that way.

"Come on, you can tell me." Cornelia pushed, nudging Tristane's side teasingly. "What's her name?"

Tristane merely rolled his eyes at his friend's consistency. But then their gazes locked and it was as if everything slowed to Tristane. He didn't quite know what came over him, when his eyes suddenly went to her lips and up again. He also didn't quite know what came over him as he opened his mouth to speak, "Co-."

"You two!"

The two teens nearly bumped into each other as they each turned at the outburst behind them. They were faced with a weirdly looking Edmund, who seemed to be staring Tristane down, all the while Caspian beside him sent Edmund an almost warning look.

Caspian then looked at Tristane, easing the tension with his soft request. "The wind is gone. Drinian needs you, Tristane."

Tristane looked to Caspian for answers as to what happened, but Caspian sent an almost invisible shake of the head at Tristane, who then nodded curtly. Tristane smiled weakly at Cornelia, who returned the smile, before Tristane walked away. Edmund followed Tristane with his eyes narrowly until he was gone.

Then Edmund's gaze came to rest upon Cornelia, who frowned at the sudden unfamiliar look in his eyes, before he without a word walked away again.

Cornelia's gaze immediately turned to Caspian for answers, who in turn was sending Edmund's back an exasperated look.

"What was that about?" Cornelia questioned when she caught Caspian's gaze.

Caspian smiled reassuringly and dismissive. "Nothing to worry about."

He then closed the distance between them. Caspian wrapped an arm around Cornelia's shoulder and smiled almost boyishly. "Now where the wind is nonexistent, say, are you still good with a bow?"

Cornelia's lips curled upwards.

 _ **|G|**_

"The wind has left us." Caspian spoke out on deck several hours later. The crew who weren't sitting down low rowing were spending their time on deck, adjusting the sails and more.

"So how do we get to Ramandu's Island now then?" Edmund questioned.

"My guess is something doesn't want us to get there." Drinian spoke while walking past them, ascending the staircase towards the helm, the three of them following him.

Cornelia looked up and saw Eustace flapping his wings to be able to stay up in the air right above them. And she could also about just make out Reepicheep sitting between his ears.

Drinian took another round walking around the deck as he noticed them hearing the crew's grumping about Eustace. He once again ascended the stairs, saying lightly, "If we don't find land by tonight, they may well eat that dragon."

Next, Cornelia felt this violent tug or pull on the ship that made everyone fall over. Cornelia landed directly on her hip, and it ached before she was pulled to her feet by Edmund while Caspian helped Drinian up.

"What did we hit?" Caspian questioned concernedly, everyone immediately seeking out where that had come from. Edmund leaned sideways over the railing, his face lighting up into a large grin before exclaiming, "Eustace, that's brilliant!"

Cornelia had to shadow her eyes with her hand at first, until she found an angle where she could look up without looking right into the sun's rays. Then the cheers from the crew erupted and she finally saw it. Eustace had wrapped his tail around the small dragon bust at the front of the ship and was pulling it along so they were moving in swift speed again. Cornelia smiled.

"Well done, Eustace." She said quietly to herself, happy to see a development in the else spoiled, bratty boy.

 _ **|G|**_

"Something wrong?" Cornelia questioned as she entered Caspian's office later in the day. She had been approached by Lucy who said that Caspian and Edmund wanted to see her in Caspian's office.

Edmund and Caspian looked at each other, before Caspian addressed her, his dark eyes slightly concerned. "I'm worried about this whole journey. It seems like we're not even half-way and we've already been dangerously close to losing so much, of each other, of our sanity. I just doubt and fear that I'm bringing you all into more dangerous waters than first anticipated."

Cornelia's eyes softened as she moved closer to Caspian and Edmund, who in turn had chosen to walk out onto the small balcony but was still visible because of the open doors.

"First of all," Cornelia sighed before she looked reassuringly at Caspian, "If you weren't at any time worried when being on a quest such as this, it would trouble me because that would show that you have no care for us or the crew. But you do worry and it's perfectly normal."

Cornelia paused and looked swiftly at Edmund before meeting Caspian's gaze again. "Secondly, for the journey itself, I must admit that I'm scared yes, but we've come through it all so far because we do it together. We are family, and family would go through thick and thin for each other. As for us all, you didn't force us to come with you on this journey, Caspian. We chose to come, because we have your back and always will. And we're not jumping ship now, just because things got dangerous. We're with you until the end, Cas, whether you like it or not."

By the end, both Edmund and Caspian were smiling at the young girl with an old soul in the room with them. There had never in Caspian's mind been any doubt since he met Cornelia that she was more than capable of fulfilling the duties of the Goldenflower according to the legend, yet it truly astounded him each time he sought her counsel. She would instantly make him feel slightly more at ease, despite how tough the dilemma would be.

"Thank you, Cor." Caspian said, emphasizing his gratitude, "Really. I have really missed those peptalks. Trumpkin does not even come close with his."

"I'm glad to hear that at least someone appreciates my opinions." Cornelia replied with a pointed look at Edmund, who, to Caspian's confusion, cowered slightly under Cornelia's stare.

"What have I missed here?" he questioned concernedly.

Cornelia looked expectantly at Edmund, but when the teenager merely looked stubbornly back at her, Cornelia sighed. "Nevermind."

"What about the remaining lords?" Edmund asked then, adding with a pointed look at Cornelia. "To get back on topic."

Caspian sighed, lifting one of the swords from the table before slowly putting it down again and looked to Edmund. "We can't be sure the other lords even made it to Ramandu's Island. How do we know they weren't tempted too?"

Edmund joined them inside the office, walking up right next to a sitting Caspian, "Maybe, this is all part of the test. Remember what Coriakin said: Seek the blue star. Stay true to its course. Never yield and never falter. They were tempted," Edmund pointed to the swords. Cornelia observed Caspian's concerned facial expressions.

"And they faltered." Edmund finished.

"And we almost did, too." Caspian said calmly, clearly in doubt of what to do. He looked to Cornelia, "What do you think?"

Cornelia looked to Edmund, who was observing her calmly. Despite her still remaining disappointment in him for wanting to go off to war, Cornelia knew Edmund's worth. He was intelligent and a good tactic, which deemed a bit up for his hot-headedness every once in a while.

"I think Edmund's right." Cornelia concluded.

Caspian nodded at the two cousins before a rap sounded on the door, followed by Drinian's voice. "Your Majesty?"

"Yes." Caspian replied.

Drinian opened the doors and walked in. He kept his stoic expression for another five seconds, before his lips curled into a wry smile, despite his focused gaze. "We've arrived."

A moment went by where none of them said anything until Caspian looked at Drinian with an earnest smile, "Thank you, Drinian. We'll be right out."

The Captain of the Dawn Treader nodded lightly before he left the room and closed the doors behind them.

"Well…" Edmund spoke.

"There's no turning back now, is there?" Caspian questioned.

Cornelia shook her head. "No. I guess there's not."

 _ **|G|**_

It had nearly been sundown before they had unloaded what they needed off the ship and decided who were going to stay behind and guard the ship. For obvious reasons, Eustace was one of them, and Reepicheep had chosen to stay behind with him. Cornelia couldn't help but smile when she thought of the blossoming friendship between these two, who originally got off on the wrong foot.

The island was beautiful while the sun was up, eerie but beautiful. Now when it was dark, it was still eerie and slightly nerve-wracking. They were nearing a stone bridge where a fast-streaming river was situated beneath it, as well as a waterfall to their left. They heard the noise from the water as well as the caws that sounded like it came from some kind of bird.

Edmund and Caspian had insisted upon walking in front.

" _You do realize that the Goldenflower's job is to protect you, right? My job?"_ she had asked.

Edmund and Caspian had looked at each before looking back at her with similar grins upon their faces.

" _Yes, but I don't think quite the same apply when the Goldenflower is, at least, visually younger than the individuals he or she is supposed to protect."_ Edmund grinned.

" _Or the fact that you're a blood relative to the monarchs."_ Caspian chimed in.

And so Cornelia found herself walking alongside Lucy with Tristane beside them.

Edmund's torch came in handy as they realized that the trees weren't just tree or stone wasn't just stone. Figures like birds had been carved out along their walk on the small road in front of them.

There was no doubt that this island was really old as they approached an enormous tree where its thick branches with time had been bowed and bent and then stopped. Now it looked like rather large doorway into a clearing.

When they stepped into the clearing, the most peculiar sight met Cornelia. A long table out of stone with many illustrations carved into it as well as long stone benches on each side was placed right in the middle of the small clearing. What was even more peculiar was the food on the table. Fresh food. Cornelia felt shivers down her spine.

The group split up and walked along each side of the table, eyeing the food, the candles and everything else suspiciously.

"Wait." Cornelia heard Drinian speak a little ways behind her.

There was a small section of the table that was completely covered in darkness. There was some kind of structure, but Cornelia thought again that it was just some branches and moss that had mixed together with time. At the end of the darkened section, it also looked as if there was a stone chair.

The fear Cornelia felt, when Edmund directed his torch towards the darkened section of the table, was almost indescribable.

Caspian and Lucy drew their swords, the latter letting out a gasp and Cornelia's eyes glowed golden at the sight in front of them. Cornelia had been right about the moss and branches - what she hadn't been right about was what it was covering. Three adult, older men were sitting around the table; one on each side and one at the end. They looked like as if they had been through a lot, and all of them had hair and beards that was extremely long. It looked like they were dead.

Cornelia tensed as Drinian and the crew also drew their swords and Edmund and Caspian backed by Lucy and Cornelia approached the men.

Caspian looked down at one of the men's hands and pointed his sword at it, stating. "Lord Revilian."

He then etched closer to the next man, "Lord Mavramorn."

Cornelia met Caspian's gaze from across the table. The teen's heart sank for her friend.

"Lord Argoz." Caspian concluded.

Meanwhile, Lucy had removed some of the hair away from the face of one of the lords, when Cornelia heard someone breathe out and Lucy stepped away with a gasp.

Cornelia watched the lord carefully as Caspian etched closer after Lucy's reaction.

"He's breathing." Caspian exclaimed incredulously before looking around at the other lords.

"So are they." Edmund concluded.

Then it dawned on Cornelia. "A spell."

Caspian's eyes widened before he looked back at the crew and exclaimed, "It's the food!"

And it wasn't a second too soon. Tavros gasped and let go of the piece of fruit he had had in his hand.

"Hey," Edmund said next, lighting something up with his torch. "It's the stone knife. This is Aslan's table."

" _Wait_ ," Cornelia thought. _"What?"_

"Their swords." Caspian exclaimed hurriedly, digging the first sword out of the branches, while Edmund found the second.

"On the table." Caspian said, and together they placed all the swords they had gathered so far on the table as they had been told to do. Lucy found the third sword and put it on the table.

"That's six." Edmund stated.

Caspian frowned. "Still missing one."

And then the swords started glowing blue. Cornelia and Lucy looked up at the same time as something bright blue slowly flew over them.

"Look!" Lucy exclaimed.

Cornelia tensed and immediately felt the Goldenflower's power surge through her veins. She followed the blue light intensely while Caspian drew his sword.

The blue light then descended in front of them, nearly blinding the others except for Cornelia, who saw the woman first. She was a beautiful blonde woman, wearing a long gown that was a blue-ish white. Cornelia could feel an enormous foreign energy coming from the woman. She didn't particularly like this.

"Travelers of Narnia…welcome." The woman spoke in a melodious voice.

Cornelia chose that she didn't like her already, especially when the crew knelt for her.

"Arise." The woman spoke softly, raising her hands. "Are you not hungry?"

"Who are you?" Edmund questioned.

" _Good Ed-Wait what?"_ Cornelia thought, outraged. She knew that tone in Edmund's voice, and she was too far gone to want to see a teenaged puppy-love sick Edmund when she had had to deal with an adult version of that puppy-love. Now when she came to think of it, they had had many fights over the years - yet no matter how much they yelled at each other, the closer they became at the end of it. Cornelia's attention shifted back to the glowing woman, who replied, "I'm Liliandil, daughter of Ramandu."

The woman walked closer to them, smiling softly, her gaze not leaving the boys. "I am your guide."

Cornelia nearly guffawed at the excited look Edmund and Tristane sent each other at the woman's statement. And she also felt a slight painful pang in her chest at seeing Tristane's gaze upon the woman, this Liliandil.

"You're a star?" Caspian questioned softly, slowly walking towards her, Lucy following behind him. Edmund, Tristane and Cornelia too walked closer to the star from the other side of the table.

Liliandil turned at Caspian's voice and smiled and nodded twice in a quick manner. Caspian, Edmund and Tristane walked even closer.

Caspian smiled, "You are most beautiful."

"If it is a distraction for you, I can change form." Liliandil said, confusedly.

"No!" Caspian, Edmund and Tristane said in unison, afterwards sending each other that subtle 'what just happened - I saw her first'-look.

There, Cornelia nearly lost it. She and Lucy simultaneously rolled their eyes at them. Cornelia couldn't help but feel slightly jealous, and she was sure Lucy felt the same. Although Cornelia never had been too conscious about her choice of clothes, the way her hair looked etcetera - especially not since she had seen how stiff Susan had become as they had gotten older, but she thought it was extremely nice to be complimented every once in a while - even by her family in a nice way. But she didn't get exactly why her heart sank, watching Tristane look at Liliandil the way he did. He was her best friend, he was handsome, she was happy whenever he was there. Yet, there couldn't be more there, could there? She had been 12 and he had been 13 when she and her cousins left the last time, and now they were 15 and 16 years old. He had acted rather odd from what she could remember, but he had also been odd in a strange, negative way. He definitely couldn't feel more for her, could he?

"Please." Liliandil spoke now to the rest of them, "The food is for you."

Then the star raised her hands, and the candle sticks were all lit up. "There is enough for all who are welcome at Aslan's table. Always."

The last word she directed towards Cornelia and them again. "Help yourselves," she spoke enthusiastically.

"Wait." Edmund said just as the crew were about to take some food, stopping them in their tracks. "What happened to them?"

Cornelia nearly cheered victoriously. Maybe Edmund wasn't as badly smitten after all. Finally someone with rational thinking - besides from her and Lucy that is.

Liliandil looked sadly at the three lords sitting by the table with the glowing swords. "These poor men were half-mad by the time they reached our shores. They were threatening violence upon each other. Violence is forbidden at the table of Aslan. So they were sent to sleep."

"Will they ever wake?" Lucy questioned.

Liliandil looked at Lucy, "When all is put right."

"Come…" she continued, looking to Edmund and Caspian. "There is little time."

Automatically, when the boys and Lucy started to walk, Cornelia created a wall of golden energy between them and Liliandil. When they turned around to look at her, Cornelia was met with different reactions. Edmund and Caspian looked confused and almost annoyed at her, while Lucy smirked knowingly.

"…I think I'm taking the lead on this one, boys." Cornelia replied sarcastically.

Almost feeling the searing stares from the boys, Cornelia simply began to follow Lilliandil a bit away from the crew and Tristane, to another clearing. When they had reached their destination, Cornelia realized that there were standing on some sort of stone façade, like there had been a building once upon a time.

"The magician, Coriakin, told you of Dark Island?" Lilliandil questioned with her back turned towards them. Cornelia looked past the star to see what she was looking at, and the sight that met her caused shivers to roll down her spine.

"Yes." Caspian answered, his tone of voice suggesting he was seeing what Cornelia was also seeing, Lucy and Edmund coming up by Cornelia and Caspian's sides.

In the horizon, they could see what was supposed to be Dark Island. Green light was blinking and shining brightly and intimidating through what Cornelia guessed was another forest. She couldn't exactly estimate what it was.

"Before long, the evil will be unstoppable." Lilliandil spoke again, looking nervously towards the island in the horizon.

"Coriakin said to break its spell, we lay the seven swords at Aslan's table." Caspian stated almost questionably towards the star, who turned to face them.

"He speaks the truth," she nodded.

"But we only found six." Edmund spoke.

Cornelia's heart sank and she had to sink once as she saw the look on Lilliandil's face. The star's gaze met hers. Cornelia guessed Lilliandil could read the look in her eyes as the star nodded once, almost invisibly. The teen almost felt bad for the way she had been feeling towards the woman. Being so close - having ones home, and probably the only place the star has ever known, be so close to something so evil-looking, it had to be hard to stand here and watch. Cornelia could feel Lilliandil's compassion for them.

"Do you know where the seventh is?" Edmund questioned Lilliandil.

"Dark Island." Cornelia breathed. She could only suspect that Lilliandil had nodded affirmatively, an answer that Caspian, Edmund and Lucy had accepted with grave silence.

"You will need great courage." The star spoke.

Cornelia looked to her side, her eyes meeting Lucy's. The Goldenflower mustered to demand all the positive thoughts she could find to be able to send Lucy a positive look. Lucy had grown up so incredibly much the past three years, and the valiant queen Cornelia knew was showing more and more. Yet there were still times where you could see that Lucy was young and afraid - which was written all over her face right now. But they all were afraid.

All of them stared at the island for a few seconds longer until Lilliandil brought them out of the trance. "Now, waste no time." Lilliandil spoke to them and faced them directly.

Cornelia watched Caspian hesitate before he sincerely said, "I hope we meet again."

She recognized that look in his eyes. It was the same way he had looked at Susan the last time they were in Narnia, and it made her smile. According to her, Caspian deserved all the happiness in the world. And by judging the look on Lilliandil's face and the way she smiled, Cornelia would say that the star also held a torch for Caspian.

Lilliandil smiled and nodded. "Goodbye."

Cornelia was surprised when the star looked at her next with a smile and a nod directed towards her. "Goldenflower."

Cornelia felt her lips twitch upwards before she sent a respectful nod back at the star, who next nearly blinded them as her energy surrounded her, causing them to take a step back, before she shot into the air as a small blue ball of energy again, coming to a rest high up into the heavens.

Next, the four of them looked at each other. Their gazes were all serious, nervous and tense, knowing what dangers they would be putting themselves and more importantly the crew through.

"What do we do?" Lucy asked then.

Caspian met Cornelia's gaze. The teen saw the nervousness yet the fierce and protective determination in the young king's eyes. Inside, she felt joy. She always knew that Caspian would be a good leader, yet he always seemed to amaze her. She would follow him blindly everywhere, just as she had followed Peter when he had asked for it.

Cornelia almost invisibly sent Caspian a nod, who in turn looked each of them in the eye. "We prepare."

 _ **|G|**_

Cornelia felt quite chilled as they all stood there on the deck of the ship, looking towards Dark Island with quite an amount of suspicion and disdain.

Eustace was flying around somewhere above them. She didn't know exactly where, as he moved around a lot, like he was anxious - just like the rest of them were.

Cornelia stood with Drinian, Tavros, Caspian, Lucy and Tristane by the helm of the ship.

"So, what do you think is in there?" Tavros questioned tensely as the minotaur like the rest of them stared towards the darkened island with a visible green mist surrounding it.

"Our worst nightmares." Edmund replied without blinking.

"Our darkest wishes." Caspian chimed in, a look of determination as well as dread.

"Pure evil." Drinian said, looking towards the rest of them for a second.

Cornelia inched closer to Lucy, who silently took her cousin's hand in hers.

" _How come every obstacle we face only becomes worse for every time we return?"_ Cornelia thought as she reflected on their trips to Narnia.

"Tavros," Drinian spoke, leaving the helm. "Unlock the armory."

"My lord." The minotaur replied with a nod and walked down the steps to the deck.

"Archers," Drinian commanded, "Prepare yourselves."

"Aye, Captain," was the immediate reply.

"Light the lanterns." Tavros demanded as he descended the staircase.

Cornelia and her cousins automatically looked towards Caspian, who looked at them and softly said, "Let's get ready."

With a last nod towards the girls Caspian, Edmund and Tristane left them in order to get themselves ready.

Cornelia and Lucy looked at each other. Each of them had grown up a lot since their last adventure in Narnia. Albeit that Cornelia had fought against Miraz while Lucy had stayed back at the How, it was the first time the Goldenflower really felt that she was considered being somewhat close to an adult. And she felt more than okay with that, because she had already experienced adulthood once back during her cousins' reign. Despite how much Cornelia could visually see that Lucy had grown up as well as having the knowledge of how she was as an adult during her reign, the older girl couldn't help but feel responsible for keeping the younger girl safe, just like she had felt compelled to all those years ago during the air raid. And Cornelia guessed that it would really never change.

"Let's go." Lucy spoke softly. "We should get ready too."

Cornelia nodded and sent her cousin a small, affirming smile before the two of them walked towards their quarters which were originally Caspian's. Gael joined them almost as soon as they set their feet upon the deck, leaving her father's side who watched cautiously after her. The little girl didn't say a word as she followed the two teenagers. She seemed to know that something was about to happen.

Immediately upon entering the cabin, the two teenagers put things in motion. The both of them found some armor and their weapons of choice. Cornelia and Lucy were both strapping in, when Gael, positioned on the bed behind them, spoke up, her words directed at Lucy specifically. "When I grow up, I want to be just like you."

Cornelia stiffened momentarily and subtly watched her cousin's reaction while her lips curled upwards at the sweet statement. Lucy had looked up at Gael via the mirror in front of her. Cornelia watched Lucy hesitate, she could see the conflict in the younger girl's eyes until Lucy turned around and smiled softly at Gael. Lucy had always had a deep admiration for Susan, despite how different the two of them were. And with admiration also came envy, especially as the two siblings got older and Susan slowly were opening her eyes to boys and the boys were starting to notice her.

"When you grow up…" Lucy said, sitting down beside Gael on the bed, lightly pulling her into her side, rubbing her side comfortingly with her hand. "You should be just like you."

Cornelia looked at Gael with a confirming smile, which the small girl returned, but Cornelia looked knowingly at Lucy as she softly said, "Hear, hear."

Lucy met Cornelia's gaze, her cheeks flaring softly at the indirect meaning of Cornelia's acknowledgement. Lucy smiled gratefully at her cousin. Then the three girls finished preparing in silence. After some time, the girls had finally finished and Cornelia was just about to walk out of the door with Lucy and Gael when a random train of thought held her back, causing her to stop walking.

"Is something wrong?" Gael asked, squeezing Cornelia's hand gently all the while looking up at her with those large, brown eyes.

Cornelia smiled softly at the little girl's caring antics, squeezing her hand in return. "Not at all, I just think I forgot something. Go on ahead. I'll be right there."

Lucy looked questioningly at her cousin, worried that something really was wrong, but the blonde just didn't want to worry or scare Gael. Lucy had to be honest, ever since that night on the beach, she had watched Cornelia cautiously, wanting to find out if something of that - whatever-it-was - still lingered within her cousin. But when she was met with her cousin's warm smile, and her blue orbs shone of reassurance, Lucy backed down and softly nodded, gently prodding a confused Gael along with her.

When she was alone, Cornelia started reflecting upon this train of thought that suddenly went through her head. She was around the same age that Susan and Peter had been when Aslan had told them that it was their last time in Narnia. Edmund was as well. Could this time, given that they made it through this, be _their_ last time as well? Caspian, Tristane…all the friends they would leave behind once again, this time permanently. Her heart ached differently at the thought of never seeing Tristane and Caspian again. Tristane was her best friend in the whole wide world, and lately Cornelia confessed, she had started to feel different about him, something more. It had become clear to her after meeting Lilliandil.

Caspian had fast become the older brother to both Cornelia and her cousins, despite of the fact that they were actually at least 1300 years older than him in reality. He had never been a substitute for Andrew to Cornelia, but he was damn close. There was never a doubt in Cornelia's mind that she could go to Caspian with anything with no fear of judgment, and he had always been one of the few who always had treated her as his equal.

Cornelia found herself, whilst she was thinking about all of this, sitting down while pulling out a piece of paper and a pen. And she started scribbling.

 _ **|G|**_

"Where's Cornelia, Lu?" Cornelia heard Edmund ask as she vowed her way through the crew, who were all now dressed, ready to fight. Up ahead, she saw Edmund stand with Lucy, Caspian and Tristane.

"I'm here." Cornelia breathed, walking up to them.

"Everything all right?" Tristane frowned.

"Yes, everything's fine. I promise." Cornelia smiled at him. The smile seemed to put her friend at ease.

Suddenly, she felt a large and gentle hand squeeze her shoulder. Cornelia turned slightly and looked up to see Caspian at her side. The young man also had a hand on Lucy's shoulder, who he smiled slightly to, giving her shoulder a squeeze. Caspian then turned to look at Cornelia, who looked at him calmly. It looked to Cornelia like he needed it, as she easily could see the conflict and unease in his eyes, although he was trying to hide it. Cornelia smiled softly at him and patted the left of his chest gently, as somewhat of a signal to listen to his heart. Caspian's eyes softened at Cornelia actions, clearly interpreting them in the way Cornelia wished. With a last squeeze of her shoulder and a final silent exchange of conversation between them, Caspian arched his way past his family, through the crowd of the crew and towards the staircase leading up to the landing in the front of the ship. When Caspian turned around to face them and when the crew all turned their attention towards him, Cornelia not only saw her friend, Caspian - she saw King Caspian the Tenth of Narnia, his dark eyes shining with new determination, authority and love for his family and people.


	14. Chapter Thirteen

_Hi ya'll! Wow, I know, I know - it's been such a long time, and I just gotta say that I really have no other excuse other than this month's really just flown by. I have really tried to finish this chapter sooner, but this chapter in particular have been difficult to crack, but I'm overall satisfied with how it turned out now, nonetheless. I'm really hoping I'll be able to finish the story throughout august, both for your sakes and for mine. I have three chapters plus an epilogue left - Jesus, that felt weird to write. I love this story/trilogy so much that it's going to be so incredibly weird to one day be finished with it. Without, further ado, I hope those who have stuck with me; the silent readers, active readers, new readers, that you all will enjoy this one. Chapter Fourteen is already in the making, with a whole lot of action in it :)_  
 _Oh, and I have a film recommendation for you - it's not Narnia related at all, but it's only on Netflix and is called Triple Frontier starring Ben Affleck, Charlie Hunnam, Garrett Hedlund, Oscar Isaac and Pedro Pascal. It's a great film - it's a heist-action-soldier film all in one, and has a beautifully told theme of brotherhood. I adore all of these guys, but my heart totally belongs to Garrett Hedlund and Charlie Hunnam - if you know of them you'll probably know why - besides for their ridiculously handsome looks ;)._

 _Disclaimer goes for all chapters._

* * *

 **Goldenflower 3: The Last Return**

 **Chapter Thirteen**

* * *

"No matter what happens here," Caspian spoke as they came closer and closer to the suffocating, thick black mist, mixed with the toxic green mist, "every soul who stands before me has earned their place on the crew of the Dawn Treader."

The young king looked around at his crew and his family on the deck below him. Cornelia was looking admirably at their friend. She could see that Tristane, Edmund, Lucy and Gael, who were the immediate ones beside her, were looking at him the same way.

"Together we have traveled far," Caspian continued. "Together we have faced adversity. _Together_ we _can_ do it again."

Cornelia noticed the subtle, agreeing looks part of the crew in front of her sent each other.

"So now is not the time to fall to fear's temptations."

Cornelia looked up in time to see Caspian's gaze upon them.

"Be strong. Never give in." He said, looking determinedly at them. It was clear to Cornelia that he was reflecting himself in them, that it was just as much a reminder to himself as it was a reminder meant for them.

"Our world….our Narnian lives, depend on it." Caspian continued. "Think of the lost souls we're here to save."

Cornelia felt a slight tug at her heart at the reminder of the real seriousness of it all. If they didn't stop the mist, it would spread to the rest of the world they were in, it would destroy the peace and the land Caspian had worked so hard for. It would destroy Cornelia's and her cousins' second home. They couldn't let that happen, whatever the cost. Cornelia felt a slight magnetic tension by her left hand and suddenly, warm fingers entangled themselves with hers until she was holding hands with the person to her left. Her lips curled upwards slowly, but she began to feel slightly embarrassed when she felt her cheeks heating up in a blush.

She could suddenly feel her cousins' eyes on her and Tristane, but she didn't really care. She hadn't felt this at peace for a very long time. She also thought she saw the ghost of a smirk on Caspian's face once he looked in her direction, but she wasn't sure.

Caspian looked slightly upwards to the sky. "Think of Aslan."

Cornelia immediately felt warmth in her chest when she heard the lion's name.

"Think of Narnia." Caspian finished before he hurriedly started to descend the staircase, leading down to the deck, but he stopped abruptly and looked surprised up at the crew's battle cries.

"For Narnia!"

"For Narnia!"

For one moment, Caspian's face didn't resemble one of a king, but of a confused, little boy that had been allowed to open an early Christmas present. Then his gaze found Cornelia, and she couldn't help but smile proudly at him. Finally, he saw how good of a leader he really was - confirmed by the crew who supported him by showing that they would face whatever awaited them headfirst alongside him, instead of just her, Tristane and her cousins. Cornelia could also see the relief in his eyes, and the slight sack of his shoulders as if a huge burden just had been loaded off him.

Automatically, as the crew went back to their positions to prepare for the unknown enemy by the orders of Drinian, Cornelia and Tristane slowly let go of each other's hands. The two teenagers looked up at each other with soft smiles, and Cornelia was relieved to see that it wasn't just her cheeks that were slightly flushed. The two of them left each other's sides to prepare the last few things they might be missing, but Tristane didn't come far when someone had taken ahold of his arm. He looked to up to come face to face with Edmund, the older boy's facial expression making Tristane slightly defensive in his stance. He didn't feel like he was facing Edmund, the boy he had come to know, but rather the adult version of the Just king he was. Edmund's eyes were darker than Tristane remembered, not that he ever took much notice of them, but the older boy's orbs were swimming with conflicting emotions. Edmund had seen the interaction between his cousin and Tristane, and he had mixed feelings about it. He viewed Tristane like a brother, but his protectiveness of his younger cousin seemed to fill considerably more, especially since Peter weren't there. It was also because he knew how this journey hopefully would end, although it was bittersweet. They would go home again.

Edmund's eyes softened, however, as he saw Tristane's defensive shift in mood. Yet, his voice remained strong, "I know that you're a good guy, but she's my younger cousin and you've got some shoes to fill. So, all I'm going to ask is whether you are willing to do -."

"Everything for her." Tristane finished Edmund's sentence for him with an unwavering determinedness.

"Because if you aren't, Caspian and I will hurt you." Edmund finished, his dark, brown orbs glistening intensely and protectively.

"Understood." Tristane replied seriously before his eyes twinkled with mischief as he saw the Narnian king approaching them. "You, I'm afraid of, but Caspian doesn't seem like much of a threat to me."

Caspian replied by giving his protégé a light slap in the back of the head, sharing a silent, short conversation with Edmund before he replied and walked by, "I heard that."

Shortly after, Caspian walked by Cornelia and Lucy, but not before sending them a smile.

"So, what's with the handholding?" Lucy inquired when they were alone and no one seemed to care about their conversation. Gael was currently with Rhince.

"What?" Cornelia questioned innocently, but her flushed cheeks revealed that she knew exactly what her cousin was talking about.

"You and Tristane. Holding hands?" Lucy smirked knowingly.

"Nothing." Cornelia shook her head, putting pressure on every syllable.

"If you say so." Lucy breathed provocatively.

"Leave her alone, Luce." Edmund smirked as he walked up to them. Cornelia rolled her eyes at her older cousin's teasing glances, but she also noticed the slight apprehensiveness in his glance; he was being protective while he was joking, as usual.

"Guys." Tristane approached them, his relaxed demeanor replaced by a slightly more serious one. "We're almost at the edge of it all. Caspian wanted me to tell you to go to your positions."

The Pevensies' moods instantly became more sober, as they all acknowledged Tristane's words and followed him to their positions. Cornelia hadn't even noticed that they were that close, but when she looked around, she realized that the dark nearly had engulfed them; only the light of the lanterns around the ship prevented the darkness to engulf them fully. If Cornelia listened closely, she could hear Eustace's wings flap above them. She found it slightly funny that for Eustace to grow a bit of backbone, he had to turn into a dragon first. But she admired the boy's determinedness, although she suspected that his newfound bravery also had something to do with the blossoming friendship between him and Reepicheep, who probably was sitting on Eustace's head right now.

 _ **~ G ~**_

Cornelia felt cold shivers running down her spine. It wasn't because she was cold, but rather because of the darkness that was engulfing them all as they were standing on the deck, slowly gliding through the darkness. They had also begun to see the green mist flailing quickly around them, where Cornelia had caught herself ducking a couple of times when she thought the green mist got too close. And then there were this eerie silence, except for the strange noises and voices coming from the green mist around them, while she also heard what sounded like thunder sometimes around them.

Cornelia focused on the light from the lanterns around them in order for her to stay sane. She felt that the Goldenflower's powers were dwindling, weakening in the darkness; like it was slowly suffocating her. She noticed the crew tensing as the green mist were swirling through the air between them. Cornelia took a slow intake of air before she channeled deep down into herself until she mentally reached the Goldenflower's core. Slowly, she started to feel the light running through her until she herself noticed that she was glowing. She was alert, wanting to stay completely in control in order to keep the crew safe as she had noticed them staring after the mist; some of the looks were filled with longing, others with a nightmarish fear.

"Stay strong!" She demanded to the crew around her, "None of what you see is real."

Granted, she knew that whatever hallucinations the mist showed them individually wasn't real, but it didn't prevent her from feeling how the mist and the darkness around her was so intense that she could feel the energy slowly slipping out of her - also because she was giving much of her energy into fueling her powers so that she functioned as a beacon of light for the crew on-deck. Succeeding in closing herself in, ignoring the whispering from the mist, Cornelia felt strangely content as if an enormous bubble had closed itself around her and nothing could touch her now.

That bubble, however, burst pretty quickly when the green mist slyly floated in front of her. She knew she was a goner when she saw what the mist was forming itself into. Chills ran down her spine and Cornelia gasped as if someone had knocked the air out of her. Tears were slowly forming underneath her eyelids.

" _NO!"_

Cornelia flinched, automatically taking a step backwards although she felt like she could barely move, like the mist was beckoning her to watch.

" _Cornelia, please…I'm sorry…"_

Andrew's begging in such a fragile state was so surreal to Cornelia, who had always known him to be so incredibly strong and determined; she shouldn't believe the mist's illusions, but it played tricks on her mind as she recollected the nightmare she had had. It broke her heart into pieces.

" _Lia, please…make it stop."_

"Please don't." She croaked, shaking her head in denial, trying to turn away from the mist's illusion of her brother, but her legs were as if they were glued to the ground, yet they also felt like jelly.

"Cornelia?"

The green mist dissolved at Caspian's interference, who was quick to notice Cornelia nearly collapsing and caught her easily around her waist before she could fall.

"Hey…" Caspian gently turned her so that she almost faced him. He looked concernedly down at her, his heart clenching at the sight of her paleness and the tears rolling down her cheeks. It was a no-brainer what the mist had showed her. He himself was too shaken by the mist's illusion of his father, exploring his doubts and insecurities of being a good man like his father. But seeing Cornelia this heartbroken in front of him, Caspian didn't think much of his own insecurities, but rather on making Cornelia feel better. Her face had paled considerably, and the Goldenflower's aura was flickering like a petroleum lamp being bothered by the wind.

Caspian pulled Cornelia into his side, squeezing her in a gentle and comforting manner. "It's okay," he told her softly, "Stay strong for me. Stay strong for Andrew, okay?"

Cornelia looked gratefully up at the young king and nodded. Caspian's voice was quivering, but she could see the determinedness in his eyes to be strong for the both of them.

Nothing could have prepared them for what they heard next, however. The hair on Cornelia's arms rose alongside chills rolling down her spine in waves once again, and she felt herself seeking the comfort of Caspian's embrace once again. What sounded like a desperate howl almost sounding animalistic sounded loud and clear somewhere in front of or beside them. Everyone on the Dawn Treader looked around in full alert.

"Keep away!" A male now yelled, so Cornelia guessed he could somehow see them.

They tried to locate where the yelling came from, but all they could see was water and a couple of large cliff stones placed in the ocean. Cornelia and Caspian joined Edmund and Lucy where they stood on the deck.

"Keep away!" The male yelled again.

"Who's there?" Edmund challenged, leaning lightly over the railing to try and see where the voice came from.

"We do not fear you!" Caspian yelled confidently.

"Nor I you!" the voiced yelled abruptly back.

Cornelia squinted her eyes closed in concentration, looking towards where the voice came from, but she couldn't see a thing. It was too dark. Then Edmund moved beside her, taking a hold of something very familiar and very mundane. His torch. Edmund stepped up next to Lucy, pushed the click-button on his torch and let its circular-formed light shine towards the cliff from where the voice came.

There, in the darkness, they finally could put a face on who was challenging them. It was a very thin, middle-aged man, only wearing rags for clothes on his body and no shoes. His hair and beard were unkept and tangled; he looked like what Cornelia would refer to as a vagabond in their world, although perhaps this was a little more extreme.

The man was holding something in his right hand that Cornelia couldn't see what was. That was when the man addressed them, almost crazedly, again, "Keep away!"

"We will not leave." Caspian replied determinedly, his sword weighing down in his hands.

As they came closer, and the light from Edmund's torch were more focused on the man on the cliff, Cornelia realized the thing in his hand was a sword he was raising threateningly towards them. A sword that looked awfully similar to the others they had set out to look for.

"You will not defeat me!" the man yelled at them.

"The sword…" Cornelia muttered to herself, but she never got to speak up before her older cousin did.

"Caspian." Edmund spoke up, "Caspian, his sword."

When Edmund said Caspian's name, the man's demeanor changed immediately. He lowered the sword and looked almost confusedly at them.

"Lord Rhoop!" Caspian exclaimed, coming to a stop next to Cornelia. Immediately, the man moved away from them. Caspian followed him along the ship.

"You do not own me!" Lord Rhoop threatened then. And here, there was no doubt in Cornelia's mind. The lord had gone crazy, but who wouldn't in his place? She wondered how long the man had been on those cliffs in the darkness among the mist.

"Stand down." Caspian told the alert crew who were pointing their crossbows at Lord Rhoop. Hesitantly, they obeyed their king's order. "Let's get him on board, quickly."

"Help him up." A crew member ordered while another proclaimed, "Ready, sir."

Yet, before they had any chance to act further, a familiar dragon came from out of nowhere behind the lord and swooped him up into the air to fly him over to the ship, gently holding onto him until the crew had a hold on the lord.

Caspian approached them quickly, Cornelia right behind him, golden energy crazing her fingertips as she deemed the lord highly unstable.

"Be calm, my lord." Caspian beckoned his father's friend while the crew quickly dug out of the way as the lord was waving the sword around, alert and ready to defend himself.

"Off me, demon." Lord Rhoop demanded, seeing them as merely an illusion.

"No, my lord." Caspian told the man softly, all the while walking closer to him. "We are not here to hurt you."

Cornelia aimed to step forward along with Caspian along with Lucy, but her brother figure put an arm out and stopped her, taking a gentle hold of her, keeping her back.

"I am your king, Caspian." Caspian addressed the lord just as softly as before but with a vast authority as well.

"Caspian?" Lord Rhoop questioned as he stilled. Lord Rhoop turned swiftly and looked up at Caspian, his eyes brimming with tears and newfound hope, his voice nearly cracking, "My lord?"

Cornelia kept a wary eye on the sword in Lord Rhoop's hand as he edged closer to Caspian, his other hand moving up to cup Caspian's cheek before he raised himself up.

"You should not have come. There's no way out of here." Lord Rhoop told them, obviously frightened, suddenly realizing where they were again. Then, with just as crazed movements as before, Lord Rhoop turned around. This time, before Caspian had a chance to react, Cornelia stepped in front of both him and Lucy, shielding them from Lord Rhoop, who ordered, "Quickly, turn this ship about, before it's too late."

"We have the sword." Edmund said. "Let's go!"

"Let's turn her about, Drinian." Caspian in turn ordered.

"Aye-aye, your majesty." Drinian replied.

Weary, Cornelia had turned half-way around with her back towards the lord before she through movement from the corner of her eyes noticed Lord Rhoop turning around towards her and Caspian. Lucy had gone to her brother's side.

"Do not think." Lord Rhoop said, more directly to Caspian. Cornelia stood her ground, not trusting the lord's antics.

"Do not let it know your fears, or it will become them." Lord Rhoop said, standing awfully, uncomfortably close to Cornelia.

A moment went by when Edmund behind Lord Rhoop suddenly exclaimed, "Oh, no."

Cornelia looked concernedly at her cousin, her heartbeat increasing rapidly and her face paling when she saw Edmund's ash-stricken, regrettable face.

"Edmund, what did you just think of?" Lucy demanded of her brother, the tone in her voice suggesting a slight bit of urgency and panic.

"Oh. I'm sorry." The look on Edmund's face said it all. Nothing good. They all watched him as he ran to the side of the railing and looked down into the water.

That was when the ship rocked violently, and all kinds of trouble broke loose.


End file.
